Flames
by sarcxstic-stilinski
Summary: This story starts with a fire and ends with one as well, and for once in my life, I didn't mind if the flames swallowed me whole. The Lost Boys (1987) x OC This story is in the process of revision and rewriting. I will upload the updated story when it's ALL finished.
1. Chapter 1

When I was thirteen, I set the woods beside my house on fire. It didn't spread far before my mother noticed and called the 9-1-1, but I remember the curious excitement I felt as I watched the first tree catch ablaze. All it took was a few matches. I didn't think about what it would kill or how it would harm everything around it, but I do remember thinking about how they would go away. The masked people. So, so many of them.

Of course, I didn't tell my mother that I was the one who started it. Of course, I didn't. She'd think I was insane, but she didn't see them. She didn't see them outside of our house at two in the morning. They didn't do anything. They just stood. Once, I tried to stay up and watch them, see if they would do anything and when they would leave. I stayed up all night, and I only looked away when my mother walked into the kitchen. Then, when I turned back, they were gone.

They're a figment of my imagination, I think. Or maybe they're not. Either way, I've grown used to them in some sort of weird way. They comfort me.

So, when my own house burned down only a few years later, and I ran out to see the masked figures all standing in my lawn looking unbothered, I figured I shouldn't worry either. I didn't even know these people, but I had grown up around them. The people only I could see.

I stood in the middle of them that night, and the licking of the flames danced across us all. The warmth I felt that night made me question if lighting myself on fire would hurt as much as I had thought beforehand. After all, how could something so beautiful be so deadly? And when I heard the voices of the masked people around me begin to sing, I sang with them as a hymn for the end of my home and the beginning of something new. Whatever the future held wasn't on my mind. The only thing I thought of was the heat of the flames, and the sound of my mother sobbing a few feet away.

But that didn't matter. Nothing did besides the flames.

The backseat of my mother's convertible was one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever felt in my life, especially after laying in it for hours. After our house burned down, my mother had decided that we would move states. After all, in a town as small as ours, word spread pretty quickly, and people believed I was the one who started the fire. After all, I was the quiet kid in the class who never talked to new people, and the fact that I carried around a box of matches didn't help.

I wasn't the one who started the fire, though. I don't know who did, but it wasn't me. My mother doesn't believe me, but I've only told the truth. I had no reason to lie.

Either way, here we were in her clunky old car on the way to Santa Carla. She has family here, apparently, but I wouldn't know. I've never met any of our relatives as they used to live all the way across the country, and I can't say I'm very excited about going.

I twirled a match in between my fingers and let out a quiet sigh. There was an itch in the back of my head telling me to light it, but I didn't listen. I never did. I don't know why I was so enraptured by the flames. There was just something about them that made me feel just a bit better. It was something that was often shown through my excessive amount of candles I used instead of the lights in my bedroom. (Those didn't set the house on fire, though, either. I always made sure they were out before going to bed.)

I jumped a bit as my mother glared at me through the rear-view mirror. "Put that away this instance, Ivy," she snarled, looking back at the road for a only to put her eyes back on me. I rolled my eyes but complied, sticking it in the pocket of my jean shorts. It was a dud anyway. It wasn't like it could light spontaneously.

It smelled terrible, I realized as we crossed the border into Santa Carla. It smelled terrible, and it reminded me of why I hated large bodies of water. They always carried the terrible stench of salt and death. Don't ask me why it always smelt like death, it just did. Or maybe it smelled like death because this is a place where people kill their old personalities. Or maybe people just die here. I don't know.

"Who are we living with again," I questioned as I lifted myself up into a sitting position, watching the new city pass.

"Your Aunt Jane is letting us live with her in her _brick_ house." She emphasized the word brick as if it was going to get a reaction out of me. It didn't. "Your room is the one her kid used to have, but he's moved out now."

I nodded. "Good."

"I want you out of the house tonight so I can talk to her in peace. I don't care where you go, but I need you out until at least ten. You can unpack and then leave."

I nodded again. "Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you."

I knew what she was going to tell my Aunt about, and though I expected it, it still hurt just a bit. I gripped my box of matches tightly and leaned my head on the window, ready for this day to be over already.

The rest of the ride there was silent besides the radio playing recent hits. I didn't expect much more. The house, however, was very beautiful, and I looked at it in awe as we pulled up. It was huge, two-stories, and covered in all types of flowers, but it looked like it belonged. I stepped out of the car slowly and shut the door as I stared up at it. Yeah, it was definitely beautiful.

The front door to the house opened, and I heard a loud squeal as a woman with long, blonde hair stepped out and ran towards my mom. My mother opened her arms, and the woman jumped in, grinning ear-to-ear. "Oh, I missed you, Melissa," she cried.

"I missed you, as well, Jane." But she didn't really look like she missed her. She kind of just looked annoyed.

The woman who I now knew as Aunt Jane then turned to me, the grin still plastered across her face. "Oh, and look how you've grown. You look so beautiful! Gosh, the last time I saw you, you were teeny tiny. Of course, you were only about three at the time. How old are you now?"

"I'm eighteen."

Her face curled up into one that made her look like she might burst into tears. "Oh, you've grown, you've grown." She wrapped her arms around me and shook me a bit. "I've missed you so much, as well."

"I've missed you, too," I mumbled even though I have absolutely no memories of her.

She pulled away from me after another break and wiped at her face. "Now, why don't we all just go inside. Your room is on the second floor, dear. The second door on the left. Why don't you go get your stuff set up while I show your mother her room."

I thanked her quickly and pulled out my two suitcases from the back of mom's car. Not much had survived the fire, but I would find a way to get money so I could get new clothes somehow. I wonder if any place is hiring around here.

I followed Aunt Jane's instructions and made my way up the stairs easily. The second floor had only three rooms, and when I entered the second door on the left, I noticed that there was a door that led to the bathroom. There were also windows. Very large windows that looked right into

The woods.

I wonder if they'll follow me.


	2. Chapter 2

The boardwalk, I decided after only being there for a few moments, was going to be somewhere I spent a lot of time. It was beautiful and strange in a weird sort of way, and I could practically feel a heartbeat from how alive it seemed. So many different types of people were bumbling around, and it put a silly, little grin on my face. I almost forgot about my mother back at home.

The sun was setting over the horizon, setting everyone in a pink glow, and people were slowly retreating from the beach's water as it turned cooler. I pulled my leather jacket closer to myself as the wind whipped past me. Still, I was excited to be here.

I made my way down the shops, looking at the signs to see if anything piqued my interest. Nothing really did besides small comic book shop and a clothing store. I stepped into the latter.

It was warm inside, a lot warmer than it was out there, and the shop was filled with all sorts of different styles and sizes. It ranged from leather jackets and spiked boots to frilly t-shirts to tie-dyed hippie clothes. It was nice to see such a variety to look through. Of course, I first walked through the punk section, happy to see items of clothing I had wanted for a while. Like leather pants that were crisscrossed down the side and new oversized t-shirts that I could cut up or wear as is.

Even being inside the small store, I could see a variety of people come and go. It was a bittersweet kind of feeling, watching. So many lives. So many that I'll only see for this split second. So many people I could make friends and bad life decisions with. And so many people that could destroy my life with a snap if I even associated with them. It was bittersweet, yes it was, and very strange.

I had just stepped out of the store, when I felt somebody ram into me, knocking me to the floor from the blow. I let out a groan at the feeling of someone's weight on me and coughed. The boy who hit me quickly lifted himself a bit so he was on his knees above me.

"Oh my god, are you okay? I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!"

I groaned again and turned to look at him, giving him a weak smile. "I'm good, dude. Just caught off guard."

The boy gave me a bright grin and stood up, holding out a hand. I paused and looked at him for a moment, taking in his mesh shirt, mix between a tux and leather jacket, and dirty, white pants. I couldn't deny that he was a sight for sore eyes.

I gratefully took his hand and dusted off my pants after I was standing correctly. "Where were you going running so fast, anyway?" I reached down and grabbed my bag of new clothes.

He scratched the back of his neck as his grin turned into a sheepish smile. "My buddy Marko and I were racing to our bikes, but I guess he's won now."

"You guys have bikes?"

He nodded enthusiastically, almost reminding me of a puppy with all his happiness. "Yeah! We're like, uh," he dropped his voice deep for the next part, "a really scary biker gang."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? How could someone as carefree as you be in a biker gang? You look harmless."

He gave a chuckle, but this one seemed a bit darker. "Well, looks can be deceiving, doll."

I paused for a second before shaking my head. "Well, I think it'd be neat to be friends with a 'scary biker gang' and you've called it. I just moved here today, and I need some friends, and you look around my age." I paused again, my cheeks flushing red as I remember all the times I had gotten shot down through my years of living. "I mean, that is if you would even want me as your friend."

The boy let out a loud giggle, a surprising sound coming from someone as big as him, effectively cutting me off. "I'd love to be your friend!"

I let a grin as wide as his overcome my face as well, and I nodded quickly. "Okay, cool! What's your name, anyway? I haven't gotten it yet."

The boy wrapped his arm around my shoulders and began leading me away from the shop as we spoke. "My name's Paul. Do you have a name as well, or can I just call you mine?"

I giggled a girlish giggle that I was pretty embarrassed of and bit my lip. A sweet talker. I never lasted long around those. Then again, I was never sweet-talked back at my old home. No, I was too much of a freak for that. "My name's Ivarella, but my mom calls me Ivy."

"Your mom? Usually, people say their friends call them a nickname."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Never really had friends. Being the weird girl in school is, well, weird."

"I don't think you're weird."

"You've only known me for like two minutes!"

"I know, but I can already tell. Actually, no, you're a bit weird because you decided to be friends with me." He shook both of us a bit, and I rolled my eyes.

"Then, we can be weirdos together."

He hummed, and I looked around the boardwalk with a small smile. People were staring, I noticed. It felt like everyone's eyes were on us. I wonder why. Maybe his 'biker gang' was actually very bad. What's the worst that could happen? I get killed? I'm sure no one would miss me. I mean, how my mother had been acting recently. How the whole town had turned their back on me. Nobody cared for me.

I felt my fingers twitch in a way that was barely noticeable. I wanted to grab one of my matches. I didn't want to light it. I just wanted to hold one for a moment. I reached my hands into the pockets of my jacket, trying to make it look like I was just cold, but when I couldn't get a match out of the box, I let out a loud sigh and pulled my hands back out.

I could feel Paul's eyes on me. "You okay there?"

I looked up at him and nodded. "I'm all good. Where are we going, anyway?"

Paul didn't look convinced, but he ignored it. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends. Maybe you can join the gang. Be a biker with us."

"Wouldn't I need a bike for that?"

"We'll figure that out when the time comes." He said it in a high-pitched voice.

I rolled my eyes again and picked up my hand so I could thump his that rested on my shoulder. "You're so strange!"

"Y'know what, doll. I don't think I can take any more of this." He had a stupid little smile on his face as he said it.

"Oh, yeah? What are you gonna do about it?"

"This," he said simply before jumping in front of me and picking me up so I was on his back, taking my bag of new clothes into his own hand.

I let out a loud squeal and wrapped my arms around his neck, trying not to freak out. "Paul! Let me down," I screeched as he sprinted forward. "You're going to run into somebody else and kill me!"

"I wouldn't hurt you, doll!"

"I find that incredibly hard to believe," I yelled out, holding him tighter. I was surprised he could still breathe with how hard I was holding onto him. "Paul!" And right after I yelled his name again, he came to a sudden stop, making me let out another scream as I thought I was going to fall, but Paul had grabbed onto the backs of my thighs, so I was okay.

I lifted my head slowly and met the stares of three other boys, all around the same height, and all dressed in a strange sort of fashion that matched the group. "Paul," I bent my head down a bit, still watching them, "is this the biker gang you're part of."

Paul turned his head a bit, whispering back to me. "Yeah, it is."

"Paul, they look a lot scarier than you do."

Paul let out a loud laugh and lifted one hand to pat my hand before letting me down from his back so I was standing in front of them, and suddenly, I felt very bare in my simple tank top, leather jacket, and short shorts as all three of them scanned up and down my body. I looked down as well - trying to make sure I looked even a decent bit okay - before I turned to Paul with a frown.

"Paul, you asshole, you ripped my fishnets!"


	3. Chapter 3

Let me start by saying that I didn't go with them last night, though I did hang out with them for a few hours. They were fun if you could ignore the terrifying atmosphere around them. David, the leader it seemed with bleached hair and probably the best sense of fashion in the group, was actually pretty funny the few times he spoke, but Dwayne, the one with long dark hair and no shirt, didn't speak at all. Marko, who seemed to be the one Paul latched onto, was very sexual, but never enough to make me uncomfortable, just enough to make me blush a bright red. Altogether, though it was definitely a new experience, it wasn't uninvited.

My mom got mad at me for being out so late as I got home around midnight. It was confusing because she told me to be out until at least ten, but I didn't argue with her, just accepted that I wouldn't be going out tonight.

That led me to where I am now, sitting on my windowsill, my legs hanging out and a lit match in my hand as the wind cooled my body. I was staring between the woods, looking for them, the masked people, and my hand, but I couldn't make out any figures. Well, I didn't until I almost fell asleep, my head leaning against the side of the window and the match successfully put out by the wind. Through my hazy vision, I could make out a fox mask.

They were here.

I sat back up slowly, watching as another two exited, all three staring up at me. One with a deer mask reached their hand out to me, inviting me to join them.

"I can't come out today," I spoke, trying to be quiet but loud enough for them to hear me. After all, it was around one in the morning, and everyone else in the house was asleep. "I'll get in trouble."

They lowered their hand, but they still stood there, watching. One with a raccoon mask turned to the fox and rolled their head. The fox nodded, and I watched as the deer and raccoon left back into the woods, leaving me with the fox.

I fiddled with the match in my hand as I stared down at the fox. "How did you follow me?" They didn't move. "Are you even real?" The fox nodded, a slow nod that sent chills down my spine. "Did you guys set the last house on fire?" The fox nodded. "Are you going to set this one on fire." A pause and then a shake of the head that meant no. "Are you going to hurt me." The fox shook their head again. "Are you-"

I was cut off at the sound of someone running through the woods, disrupting the quiet atmosphere. My head snapped to where the sound was coming from, and I looked back at the fox to see them staring where I was as well. "What is it?" The fox turned to me before turning around and running away from the noise. "Wait!"

"Ivy," a voice called out from downstairs. "Ivy, is that you?" It was my aunt's voice, and I could hear her climbing the stairs.

I quickly stepped into the room and rushed toward the door. I opened it and stuck my head out just in time to see my aunt reach the top step. "Hi, I'm sorry, was I too loud? I haven't been able to sleep."

She shook her head. "Were you talking to someone?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, just reading a book out loud. Helps me clear my mind."

She nodded her head, though she didn't look convinced. "Okay, well, uh, tomorrow, your mother and I are going on a small trip to a few towns over. We'll be gone for two days, so there's food in the kitchen, and money if you want to go into town or to the boardwalk. I won't tell your mother as long as you don't get into trouble."

I let a grin slip onto my face. "That'd be nice. Thank you. What're you going for?"

"Now that is a secret." She let out a small chuckle and tapped the wall. "Now, try to go to bed. It's late."

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Have a good time."

"You too."

Getting out of the house after an entire day of being stuck inside it was something I absolutely loved.

I was wearing one of the new outfits I had bought the first night on the boardwalk. It was a pair of high-waisted leather pants that crisscrossed up the sides and an oversized, maroon shirt that I had cut up and turned into a crop top. I also had black ankle boots on my feet, and I had done my makeup with winged eyeliner and dark lipstick, something minimal but nice.

I could definitely say that I was feeling good, and from the stares I got as I made my way around the shops, I knew I looked good as well.

I was only walking around for a few minutes before I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders. I looked up quickly, preparing myself to have to fight, only to meet the smiling face of Paul. I rolled my eyes and smiled back at him.

"Well, don't you look nice tonight," Paul stated, turning us around and leading me to where I believed was the rest of the guys.

I hummed. "Yeah, I normally do."

Paul laughed loudly. "Can't argue with that."

"You've only seen me once before."

"And you looked nice then, as well." I shook my head. "Where were you yesterday, anyway?"

"Mom locked me in a big tower because she just read Rapunzel for the first time and took ideas from it."

Paul laughed again. "Well, if you _were_ ever locked in a tower, I'm sure the others and I would love to come and save you."

"Ah, that makes me feel so much safer."

"Good." I laughed loudly and bumped my shoulder against him, looking up as I heard a semi-familiar voice.

"Hey, angel. Just couldn't resist us, could you?" Marko was leaning against the railing of the boardwalk, a lazy grin across his face. To the side, David and Dwayne seemed to be speaking to each other, though I couldn't hear anything. However, their hands were moving incredibly fast, so maybe they were talking in sign language.

I pulled myself from Paul and gave Marko a quick hug that he reciprocated easily. "Yeah, that's what it is." As I pulled away from him, I turned to see David and Dwayne looking at us. "Hey, guys." Dwayne nodded at me, his lip twitching like he was going to smile, but he didn't. David seemed to ignore me, but I could tell he acknowledged me.

"Where were you last night, angel," Marko questioned, placing his hands on my waist.

I slapped his hands in a friendly way and stepped away from him only to get pulled back into Paul, my back to his front. I groaned quietly but ignored it. "Our princess got locked away in a castle by her wicked mother," Paul stated in a cheerful tone. "Which still doesn't explain why she's here today." He placed his head on my shoulder, his face slightly turned to mine. "So, how did you escape your tower tonight?"

I sighed and leaned into him a bit. "My mother is going to be gone for two days with my aunt."

"So, you're all alone," Marko leered, leaning forward a bit while raising his hand so he could bite at his thumbnail. My eyes followed the movement of his mouth before I snapped out of it.

"Just because I'm alone doesn't mean nobody's waiting for me. I'm not entirely helpless."

"Of course, you aren't," Paul mumbled, "but it's nice to know we can have you all night." I didn't miss the slight sexual undertone of the sentence, but I ignored it, knowing they wouldn't try anything. Well, I didn't know, but I was beginning to build trust with them, and that was something I would have to trust them with. Not hurting me.

Paul nipped at the side of my neck, another sexual motion in my mind that I knew made my face blush a bright red, but I looked up quickly as I heard David call Paul's name sternly. He was staring at Paul with a frown, and I raised my eyebrows, wondering why he was so worried about it.

Paul let out a loud whine and pull himself away from my neck, and I watched as David's eyes moved from him to me. He met my stare, and we both stood still for a moment. In my mind, this had turned into a staring contest, and I did not want to lose. I didn't know what David was thinking, but I hoped it was the same thing because after a few moments when I blinked and cursed, I heard him laugh quietly to himself.

He looked kind of cute when he laughed.

Though, after a moment or two of watching him laugh, Paul pulled my attention back to him by shaking me slightly. "What do you want to do tonight with your new-found power of freedom, huh?"

I rolled my head and hummed quietly. "I don't know. What's there to do around here?"

"Well, there are the rides and shops. There're places to eat. There might be a concert tonight. Those happen quite a bit. There's our hangout. There's-"

I cut him off before he continued. "Your hangout? Where's that?"

He paused, and Marko spoke next. "It's easier to show you that than explain to you, but we should do that another night. You don't know even half of the boardwalk. Why don't we start with that? There's a really good Chinese restaurant down that way. That's the first thing I always recommend to people."

"Well, then, why don't we head there? I haven't eaten all day."

Marko grinned and nodded, holding out his hand for me to take. I paused but complied, letting him pull me from Paul who groaned at the action. "Then, off we go," he said while wrapping his arm around my waist.

We made our way down the boardwalk, and I could hear the others walk behind us, and from a quick glance behind me, I could see Paul grinning at people as they passed by, and David and Dwayne were talking in sign language again.

People were staring at us as we passed and avoiding us as we walked through, basically clearing a path for us, and it put a little thought in the back of my hand. Maybe they actually were really dangerous and I was just ignoring all the signs. This could be the day I died, and it would have been because of my stupidity.

"Hey, angel," Marko stated, "you okay there?"

I hadn't even noticed that we had made it inside the shop. Paul was in front of us, staring up at the menu, but I had a feeling he already knew it by heart. On the other hand, Dwayne was sitting in a booth, still talking to David – who was standing on the other side of me - from across the room. It was crazy how fast his hands moved, and I was surprised they understood each other.

I blinked a few times, trying to zone back in. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, totally okay."

Marko looked unconvinced. "You zoned out like Paul does when he's high. You sure you're all good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I promise. Are there any art stores around here?" I drowned out the terrifying thoughts that they might hurt me with a small necklace idea I had. I didn't create art or anything, but I sometimes put together jewelry for my outfits, and I had always wanted to learn how to make charms.

Marko nodded. "Yeah, there's one a few stores down if you want to go after this."

"That'd be nice."

We were disrupted again as Paul turned to face us. "What do you guys want?"

"Oh, I'll pay for my own, so you guys order first." I said this as I reached into my back pocket, trying to grab my money.

Paul rolled his eyes and shook his head. "We're paying for your food, doll."

"No, it's fine, I got it," I persisted, but Marko grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand from my pocket. I didn't have enough time to grab ahold of my money from shock. "Hey! C'mon, mine is probably more expensive than yours. Let me pay."

"I don't think so," Marko stated, pushing me forward a bit. "Now order."

I huffed but complied, asking for the honey chicken meal as nice as I could while Paul laughed beside me. The cashier nodded, completely ignoring the others. "Is that all, miss?"

I nodded. "Thank you," I said to her before turning to Paul. I pulled his head down to my height so I could mumble, "you better tip her well if she has to deal with you guys," before walking away. Paul laughed again, so I knew he took it as a joke.

I walked away from them and sat across from Dwayne in the booth, giving him a small smile. He put his full attention to me. "Hey, sorry if I'm annoying you by, uh, being here." Honestly, he intimidated me quite a bit, but I tried not to let it show too much.

His lip quirked up a bit in a tiny smile. "You're not annoying." His voice was a lot deeper than expected. To be honest, I was surprised he even spoke at all. I almost believed he was completely mute. "It's nice to have Paul's attention diverted from me from time to time."

I let a quiet laugh slip from my lips. "He's, well, he's something."

"I hope that's a good something," Paul stated loudly as he slid into the booth right beside me, handing me a box filled with the food I ordered and chopsticks.

I bumped his shoulder. "I _guess_ it is."

And the conversation rolled smoothly as we ate. Dwayne and David spoke more than they had the night before, and I could see them slowly begin to get comfortable around me. It was nice.

Marko did take me to the art shop like he said he would, and Paul seemed to have a great time looking at all the fabrics in the fabric section and wrapping feather boas around himself and prancing around with it. I pretended not to notice Dwayne picking up a few new patches, holding it up in the air to see if it would look good on Marko's jacket when he wasn't looking. Marko had ended up picking up a few new sketchbooks and pencils, and I - after insisting that _yes, I am going to freaking pay for my own stuff_ – got a new chain and a bottle charm big enough to hold what I wanted it to.

Then, around three in the morning, I made my way back home after arguing for the third time that night with Marko and Paul; this time over the fact that I could, in fact, make my way home by myself, and no, I was not going to get killed. It was probably the hardest argument to win, though, as even Dwayne was on their side, stating that it wasn't safe at night around there when you were by yourself, and David had nodded along with him.

Overall, I did end up walking home by myself, and I didn't die in the process, so, in my head, I won.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm alone in the middle of the woods.

I'm alone in the middle of the woods, and I don't know how I got here.

I'm alone in the middle of the woods, and I don't know how I got here, and there are five masked people standing around me, so maybe I'm not actually alone.

These four things seem to be the only thing I could comprehend as I stared up at the familiar masked people after waking up only moments beforehand. Did I sleepwalk, or did they move me? Neither sounded good.

"Where are we?" My voice is small, a lot smaller than I wish it was. "Are you going to hurt me?"

The one in the fox mask is back, and they shake their head as I ask the second question. "We would never hurt you, Ivy. You're one of us."

"I'm one of you?"

The fox kneels down beside my head and tilts their head silently. "Almost, but never fully. You never will be completely one of us, but you're one of us."

Their voice is deep, but it isn't a voice I recognize. "Why? Why am I one of you? Or why won't I ever fully?" My head was filling with mew questions as they spoke.

The fox sighs and begins the familiar hymn. The hymn they sang when my house burned down, and after a moment, the others surrounding me joined in the humming. The fox placed their hands on the curve of my jaw, and I noted that they were wearing gloves. "Sleep."

And I did.

I woke up what felt like hours later. The sun was setting, I was still in the middle of the woods, and a squirrel was sitting on my stomach, sleeping. I didn't have a clue where I was.

I slowly picked up the squirrel, trying not to wake it up, and placed it on the ground beside me before trying to stand up. The key word being _trying_. I let out a small cry and looked down to see my left foot twisted at an awkward angle. I could see a bright purple bruise forming around it, and I let out another cry as I touched it.

I tried to stand once more only to fall in a heap on the ground. The squirrel scurried off as fast as it could.

I laid on the ground for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. I then turned myself over onto my stomach and began crawling. I wasn't sure where I was going, or if there was an exit anywhere near this area, but I had to try, didn't I? So I crawled for what felt like hours but might have only been one until I heard the sound of voices. Voices that sounded faintly familiar, but in my state of mind, I couldn't remember exactly.

My arms and stomach were burning from the strength it took to pull myself, my foot was practically screaming in pain as it had gotten snagged on a few things on the way there, and my breathing was hard and heavy. I could barely take in breaths, but I paused for a second before trying to scream out a 'hello,' only for my voice to come out quite. I took another breath before yelling again, this one came out as a guttural yell. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The voices stopped for a moment before I heard them call back. The voice was still familiar, but it still wouldn't process in my mind, making me very, very annoyed at myself. "Hello? Do you need help?" I could sense a sort of taunting in their voice, and though it made me uneasy, I was in dire need of help.

"Please," I called out, "please, help me."

Footsteps. There were footsteps approaching me, and even though I probably should have sat up to make it easier for them to find me, I felt my body collapse back onto the ground, my chest still heaving.

"Call out again," the voice yelled, this time closer, "so we can find you."

It took me a moment to register what they said. "I'm over here! I'm over here." My voice was quieter the second time, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to talk again if they made me.

There was another snap of twigs beneath their feet before I heard one of them let out a startled yell. "Ivy?" Their voice was laced with worry I couldn't imagine, and I knew I must have looked as terrible as I felt if they acted like that. "Ivy, what happened?"

I felt two hands on my side, and then, I felt myself being pushed onto my back. I let out a whimper as my foot twisted again. My vision was blurry, but I recognized the faces in front of me almost immediately. "Paul? Marko?"

Marko was the one who turned me over, but Paul was the one who had talked to me. Marko grabbed one of my hands, looking over my injuries, while Paul ran his hands through my hair, untangling it softly.

"What happened, Ivy," Marko questioned, his voice softer than I remembered it ever being.

I gave a lazy smile and shrugged my shoulders. I felt a lot safer being around them, knowing I wasn't lost anymore. "Just sleepin' in a forest, y'know." The boys didn't seem to like my joke, but how was I supposed to explain it. I didn't know how I got here or how I got hurt. I didn't know who those masked people were who I'd had a safe/not safe friendship with. I didn't know anything right now, and falling asleep again sounded like a really good option. "I can't explain it," I mumbled, leaning into Paul's hand as it cupped my face. His hands were soft. Nothing like the gloved ones of the fox. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't feel sorry," Paul responded. "We can talk about it later. First, let's get you to our spot so we can check out your injuries, huh?"

I nodded, a barely visible nod, but a nod nonetheless. "I can't stand up."

"You're not going to stand. We can carry you." As Paul said this, Marko placed his hands under me and lifted me into a bridal position. I groaned but relaxed into his arms, lifting my arms to throw them around his neck.

"Thank you," I whispered, hoping they would hear me.

Then, we were walking through the woods like it was there second home. Marko moved almost effortlessly, barely jostling me at all. He made it feel like we were walking down a sidewalk instead of through the heavily cluttered woods. It was silent, too, besides the footsteps. They didn't say a word, and I appreciated it a lot as I wasn't sure how much I could speak. I probably just needed water, but my throat was sore and scratchy when I even breathed.

The walk wasn't very long, but I'm pretty sure I faded out for a few minutes at a time. I could hear the waves now, and we were going downstairs. Wood stairs from the sound of it, but I didn't want to look. My face had been buried in his neck for a while now, and I was almost comfortable.

It was when we entered someplace and Marko whispered a 'sorry in advance' that I picked up my head. We were going down stone stairs this time, and I understood what he meant by the apology when he had to jump down the final step, jostling my entire body. I let out a loud yelp without meaning to.

"Ivy," I heard somebody speak questioningly. I looked up to see Dwayne sitting on a couch with a book in his hand. David was sitting in what looked like a wheelchair with headphones in so he didn't disturb Dwayne. I gave Dwayne a weary smile and watched as he stood up. I could hear David approaching as well.

"What happened to her," David questioned, his voice quiet as if he was afraid he would startle me.

Paul began to explain where they found me and what I said while Marko tried to gently lay me down on the couch Dwayne hadn't been sitting on. I tried to relax into the cushions – it was a nice couch – but it was nearly impossible. The pain racking through me wouldn't let me. "Thank you, Marko," I whispered between clenched teeth.

Marko nodded, looking down at my clothes which were torn beyond belief but still covered what it needed to. I had originally been wearing my sleep clothes, an oversized t-shirt and shorts. Now, well, it could hardly be called clothes with the number of holes in them. "Do you want some new clothes?"

I nodded. "That'd nice."

"I'll go grab some real quick." He patted my head before standing back up and walking back, farther into the room. I looked up. This was a cave. That's what I was in. Neat.

I turned my head as Dwayne walked up to me. David and Paul were still talking. Well, it looked like arguing from here, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. "Can I look at your ankle?"

"Don't really have a choice, do I," I joked, smiling at him the best I could. The exhaustion was really getting to my head. "Of course, you can look, though I'm not really sure what you can do about it."

Dwayne moved down to my feet and gently prodded at the areas of my ankle moving down to my foot, using my groans as a way to tell where it really hurt. Then, there was the fact that it had been twisted sideways, and I couldn't move it.

"Give me a second," he said simply before walking away. He came back only a few minutes later with two jars in his hand. He placed them on the ground beside me before moving back to my twisted foot. He held my ankle with one of his hands and my foot with the other. "This is going to hurt." Then, he twisted my foot to where it was supposed to be, making me let out a gut-wrenching scream, a few tears falling from my eyes. I was wide awake now. Dwayne massaged the back of my leg gently, a small show of him trying to comfort me while he worked.

I breathed deeply as he opened one of the jars and put some sort of paste on his hand. It almost looked like soil except it was tinged blue. He placed a generous amount around my ankle and the top my foot, and then he opened the second jar, doing the same. This one looked more like a cream, but it was red like the color of blood. Then, he stood up again and came back with his hands cleaned off and a thing of gauze in his hands. Marko was right behind him holding what looked like a t-shirt and sweatpants.

Dwayne wrapped my ankle the best he could with only mild groaning from me, and when he was done, it was almost as if I could already feel it get better. "What did you put on it," I questioned him as he picked up the jars.

Dwayne gave me a lop-sided smile. "Don't worry about it."

I let it go, and Marko took his place. "I brought you clothes, but I'm not sure how you want to go about this considering you can't stand up."

I gave a harsh laugh and raised my hands before dropping them again, a motion meaning I didn't know. "Can _you_ just change me here so I don't have to move."

Marko furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't you want privacy."

I laughed again. "Marko, I look and feel like absolute shit. Nobody's going to get turned on by how I look, and I couldn't care less if y'all saw me. Just do it if you want. If you don't, I'll figure it out."

Marko let out a huffing kind of laugh and placed the clothes on the floor beside me. "Can you lift yourself up a bit for me so I can get your shirt off, then?" I complied, and after a few bouts of moving and shimmying, the new clothes were on me. "Is there anything else you need, angel?"

I mulled over the question a bit before answering. "Do you guys have any water? My throat feels like shit."

Marko patted my head. "Yeah, I'll go grab some, and tomorrow night, Dwayne can put something on your arms."

"Tomorrow night?" But he was already walking away. I sighed and looked back around to see David sitting in his chair, though his eyes were on me now, and Paul was missing. "Where's Paul?"

"He went to go do something for me," David answered.

Marko walked by and handed me a bottle of water which I graciously began drinking before falling to the ground beside my feet, a sketchbook in his hands. "I'm sorry for, uhm, y'know, ruining your night."

David raised an eyebrow. "It's not your fault. You were injured."

"Yeah, well, I mean, I probably could have found someone else to help."

"That's unlikely. You don't normally help people in Santa Carla."

"Then, why did you guys help me?"

"We're friends."

I paused. He considered us friends? I mean, I considered us friends, but in my eyes, I was a huge nuisance to the gang. After all, who would want some random girl that showed up out of the blue one day? It was a basket case. A basket case in love with fire. A basket case with people in animal masks following her. A basket case who was a danger to anyone who considered her a friend. "I don't think that's a good idea," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Being friends with me. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why wouldn't it be," David questioned as Dwayne sat back down on the other couch.

I paused. I didn't want to tell them everything. "I can't tell you. It's just not a good idea. It never will be."

David's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward a bit. "Really? How long will it take until you tell us?"

"I don't think I can ever tell you."

His lip quirked a bit into a small smile. "So, Ivy's got her secrets? Makes the two of us."

"I'm sure yours couldn't be as bad as mine."

"Try me."

I opened my mouth and closed it right after, shaking my head. "Another day, maybe."

David seemed a bit satisfied with that answer as he leaned back in his chair and nodded, putting an earbud back in. "You can sleep here tonight, and you can go home sometime tomorrow night." Then, he put his other earbud in so I couldn't argue.

I sighed a bit and turned the best I could to see what Marko had been drawing as I talked to David. On the paper was a sketch of David that was beginning to get very detailed. I could tell his art was something he had worked on for a long time. It showed in how effortlessly he worked.

I mindlessly reached forward and grabbed some of the long parts of his hair, braiding the pieces into tiny braids that blended in with his curls. Dwayne opened his book back up, and everything was silent besides the small sounds of each of them and the crackling of fire, which, after a quick survey of the room, came from barrels filled with wood around the room. They were used to light the place, and it made this feel even more like a home to me.

Paul came back a short while later and talked to David for a few moments, pressed a kiss to my temple, and promptly fell beside Dwayne on the couch. I watched as he threw his legs over Dwayne's lap, but Dwayne barely acknowledged him, just made himself comfortable again before continuing to read.

Yeah, with all the boys here, this was beginning to feel like a home.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up around late afternoon if my watch was correct, and I was surprised to see the cave empty and my foot almost fully healed. The only evidence of what had happened was soft bruising around my ankle. I sat up slowly, groaning at the soreness in my arms and stomach.

I did a quick look around the room, but the lights were out and no one was around. There was still Marko's art supplies at the end of the couch, though. I slowly pulled myself up off of the couch, aware of the feeling in my bladder that meant I really had to use the bathroom, but I was too scared to go deeper in the cave, though I could see a few different halls.

Instead, I turned towards what looked like the exit. Maybe I could find my way home. So, I climbed up the steps carefully, mildly terrified I was going to mess up my foot again, and emerged into the sunlight. I had absolutely no clue where I was. There were stairs, though, so I climbed those. Those were even worse than the stone ones, though, because the wooden steps felt like they would fall apart with every step I took.

When I finally made it to the top, I looked around. I was on top of a cliff that led straight into the ocean – the ocean part I already knew about, obviously – and I really had no idea where I was. The boys' bikes were there, I noted, but that was all I recognized.

So I went back down the stairs and sat on the couch. I placed my hands in my lap and sat still for a few seconds before sighing and looking around. There was music, a large collection of it. David had left his Walkman out, and there was a radio on the ground. Marko's art supplies were still by my feet, and there was a large collection of books.

I paused for one more second and then leaned over and picked up Marko's supplies. I hoped he wouldn't mind me drawing in his sketchbook. I tried to skip past all of his drawings, not looking at as much as I could. The pictures I _did_ see seemed to be just drawings of the cave, boardwalk, and the boys. Sometimes I saw something particularly grim like someone covered in blood, but I was skipping around too much to care. I couldn't judge him for drawing dark stuff. I did all the time.

I finally landed on a black page and opened the book completely. The pencils were sharpened, and there was a sharpener on the floor if I needed one.

I started with a base and then slowly built up, not really thinking as I drew, just doing it. I was in pilot mode, something I did when I wanted to pass time. I didn't think. I just did.

Only when the sun began to set did I snap out of my trance, and I almost wished I hadn't as I stared down at the picture. It was the person with the fox mask staring right back at me. The picture was mediocre in comparison to the actual thing, but it was enough to send shivers down my spine. I dragged my finger down the mask and swiftly tore out the picture as I heard footsteps and people laughing. I turned in time to see Dwayne emerge from one of the holes in the wall, followed by the boys.

Paul gave me a bright grin as he appeared and practically skipped his way over. I stuffed the picture into the sweatpants I was wearing, something that didn't go unnoticed by Paul, but I could tell he was going to ignore it for now. "How are ya, girlie? Feelin' any better?"

I lifted up my leg to show my almost completely healed ankle. "I think your buddy might have magic on his hands because it sure as shit didn't look like this yesterday."

Marko jumped over the couch from behind and handed me two jars. "Well, yes, it really is magic, and here's some more for the mess you have all over your upper half. Dwayne figured you probably wouldn't want him to do it, but I mean, I'm always down to help." He wiggled his eyebrows, and Dwayne smacked him on the back of his head as he passed us.

I rolled my eyes and thanked him quietly. "Can one of you take me home? As much as I love being around you guys, my mom is probably back in town, and she's going to kill me if I'm out any later."

"Ooh, ooh, can I take her," Paul questioned loudly, raising his hand and swinging it in the air. "I want to take her!" He was looking over at David who was slouching in his wheelchair. "Please, please, please, please, please?"

David rolled his eyes and stood up, shaking his head. "No, I'll take her home. You need food. I could practically hear your stomach growling all night." Marko snickered at Paul, but David stopped him with a glare. "You weren't any better at hiding it."

"I'll be good! I promise," Paul whined.

David gave him a stern look. "No, you won't. Now, go and get some food. Save some for me. It'll only take a bit."

Paul groaned loudly and leaned over the couch, resting his head on my shoulder. I chuckled and pushed his head off and towards Marko. "Go on. Maybe she won't be home, and I can come hang out with you guys later."

Paul groaned again and flipped himself over the couch, landing on the floor in front of us with a thud. I looked up at David and Dwayne with raised eyebrows.

"Is he always like this when he doesn't get his way," I questioned, a bit amused.

"Unfortunately," Dwayne grumbled.

Paul groaned again and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me forward toward him, but he quickly pulled away when I cried out. He stood abruptly. "Are you okay?"

I rubbed at my arm and nodded. "I'm fine. I'm still sore from last night. Though, I could putting this magic on me and fixing it by now if you weren't throwing a tantrum."

Paul looked guilty for a minute and took a step back. "I'm sorry."

"Hey," my tone was softer. I grabbed his hand and held it firmly. "You didn't mean to do it, and I'm okay."

Paul nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess I'll see you later."

He gave me a fake smile, and I watched him climb out of the cave. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Did I do something," I questioned, turning to the other three in the room. Marko was staring at where Paul had left, but the other two were looking at me.

"He's okay," David responded. "You didn't do anything wrong. You actually handled that very well."

"He's just worried because of all that happened last night," Marko chimed in.

I nodded and stood. "Well, um, tell him that I hope he feels better and that I'm okay." I heard his bike roar off, and Marko stood up beside me.

"Don't worry about it, angel. He'll be fine by tomorrow."

I nodded and gave him a short hug which he responded whole-heartedly. "I'll see you later, Marko."

He pressed a kiss to the side of my head, patted my back, pulled away, and left swiftly up the stairs.

Dwayne raised his eyebrows when I opened my arms to him as well. I motioned for him to step forward, and I saw a sliver of a smile crawl up his face as he complied. I wrapped my arms around him and placed my cheek on his chest. "You stay safe out there. And make sure the other two don't accidentally kill themselves."

Dwayne laughed, but I didn't hear anything, just felt his chest moving. "Of course."

I pulled away from him and tapped his cheek. "I mean it."

Dwayne huffed and smiled. "Of course."

"Good." I beamed at him. He nodded once more and made his way out of the cave with a few quick leaps.

Then, I was left with David who motioned for me to climb the stairs. I gave him a quick smile and complied, making my way up, up, up. When we reached the top of the cliff, I watched David climb onto his bike and roar it to life. He took a moment, seeming to relax into the loud hum of the engine before he turned to me and held out his hand.

I took his hand gently and let him pull me onto the bike. I gingerly wrapped my arms around him which made him laugh.

"You're going to have to hold on tighter than that, princess," he stated simply before we sped off.

I let out a scream and tightened my hold incredibly, my heart pounding hard in my chest. "Don't fucking kill us!"

David laughed a loud laugh and patted my hands with one of his. "We'll be fine!"

"Like hell we will," I screamed as he sped up.

The ride was terrifying, and I barely looked up. I only looked up to tell him which direction to go before hiding again as if that would help if we were to ever crash. He drove like he didn't care about dying, and I was beginning to wonder if he ever did.

After finally getting home, I barely had enough time to enter my room before I heard my aunt's car pulling up. I ran up to my room and quickly pulled on new clothes as I heard someone ascend the stairs. I barely had time to recognize the fact that my room was a mess before the door flew open.

My aunt stood in the doorway with a smile on her face that quickly turned to confusion. "Did a bomb go off in here or something?"

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. "You could say that." I scanned the room, taking in the fact that it looked like I was dragged out of my bed, which I probably was. "Is there something you need?"

Aunt Jane's smile returned to her face. "I got you something while we were out."

I raised my eyebrow. "What?"

She motioned for me to follow her, and I complied making my way out of the house and towards the garage, passing my mom on the way who rolled her eyes at me. My aunt came to a stop right before the garage and motioned for me to look, and I let out a loud squeal of excitement when I saw what it was. Parked beside her jeep was a beautiful, though a bit beat up, red motorcycle.

"Do you like it," my aunt questioned, patting my back.

I turned to her with an excited grin. "I love it! It's absolutely beautiful!"

She laughed a bit. "Well, I convinced your mom to let you go out tonight if you're back by eleven. I figured you could ride around and get a feel for it."

I pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight, laughing happily. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"It's nothing. Now, go on."

I pulled away from her and bounded over to the bike, hopping on as fast as I could. I took a moment to run my fingers over the handlebars before kicking it to life as the key was already in. I laughed loudly and turned to thank my aunt, but she was already making her way back into the house.

I let out a loud sigh before riding off, going as fast as I could without losing sight of everything around me. I ran down the streets, laughing loudly as I went, and I slowed down when I hit the boardwalk. I drove through people until I landed where the boys' bikes were. I jumped off the bike and looked around, my eyes easily catching them on the beach, standing near what looked like a bonfire. Nobody else was paying attention.

I grinned wide and went to call out one of their names before stopping abruptly as I watched David lunge forward and grab one of the people, the boys followed. Though they were a bit far away, I could see their faces transform into something not human. No, not human at all.

I was frozen in fear. I could barely make out what was happening, but there was blood. Oh, so much blood. What the absolute fuck were they.

I took a step back and then another and then I was sprinting back to my bike and taking off down the boardwalk, barely missing a few people on the way. There were tears in my eyes, and they were blurring my vision a considerable amount. I could barely make out the forest around me as I took a shortcut home.

But then, my bike stalled halfway down the road home, and I was thrown into a tree. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt too bad, but I could feel blood rushing down my face from my nose. I touched it softly with the tips of my fingers. It wasn't moved, and it didn't feel broken, so I guessed I would be okay. My bike had a few scratches, but that was it from what I could tell.

I turned quickly as I heard footsteps, and I faced the fox masked person. Why the fuck were they here. They were walking towards me, steps fluid, not tripping over anything. I pushed myself closer to the tree as they stood in front of me, the nose of their mask uncomfortably close to my face.

One of their gloved hands rose and gripped my chin tightly. I gulped loudly. "You're going to have to choose soon. One lost group or another. Eternity spent in different places entirely, but eternity nonetheless."

I shook my head the best I could with their grip. "What do you mean? You never tell me what you mean."

The fox chuckled. "You have the pieces of the puzzle. Put them together." Then, they stepped away, gave me one final look, and sprinted away. "Choose wisely.


	6. Chapter 6

I didn't go out the next night. For once, I was thankful that my mother didn't want me out. It was an excuse I could use to not get near the boys. On the other hand, it left me along with my thoughts, and that was never a good thing.

I theorized and questioned and cried and screamed and tried to find an answer, but nothing came up for either. You'd think with as many books and comics on the supernatural that I had, I'd come up with some sort of answer. It was like the answer was right there on the tip of my tongue. The boys were some sort of monster, and the fox. Oh, well, I had no idea what the fox was. The fox said they were lost. I didn't know what to take from that. The lost.

I was sitting at my window again, watching my match as it burned slowly. The wind was silent tonight, and the radio was playing a slow song behind me.

The flame flickered.

The song changed.

A twig snapped.

I looked up quickly, and my breath caught in my throat as I met the eyes of a grinning Paul. He didn't know I had seen them. For all he knew, the last time I saw them was in the cave.

I was shaking.

I dropped my match.

The flame extinguished.

Paul stepped out of the woods and waved at me. "Hey! Are you locked in the castle today, doll?"

I paused, trying to steady my breathing and heart. "It seems so," I called back, but my voice was weak, and I knew he noticed. I looked down at my hands in my lap.

"Ivy?" He took a few more steps forward. "Ivy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! Totally fine!" I put a fake smile on my face and looked back at him, my mind flashing back to the night before. "Just tired. How did you know where I lived?"

Paul raised his eyebrows. "David told me, and it's only ten. Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded again. "Yeah, Paul, I'm sure."

I could see a million questions flit past his face. A million questions I didn't want to answer. "I don't believe you."

"Well, you don't have to, Paul," I grumbled before pulling myself into my bedroom completely and shutting the window. "If only you knew."

I was forced out of the house the next night. My mother and aunt wanted to do something together. I believe they were going out to eat, so my mother wanted me out. After a few bouts of arguing and my aunt trying to settle us down, I finally complied.

I jumped on my bike and drove around town, trying to stay away from the boys and the forest creatures, but there was nothing to do, nowhere to go, and hours to kill. I gave in even though my instincts were telling me not to. I went to the boardwalk.

There seemed to be fewer people than normal, or maybe that was my anxiousness appearing. Either way, as I weaved through people, I could feel a sense of dread climbing up my body. That dread intensified when I finally saw them leaning against the boardwalk by their bikes.

Marko was laying against Dwayne who had his arms wrapped around the boy. Paul was sitting on the ledge of the fence with a bottle in his hand, swinging his legs back and forth. David was looking around at the crowd, smoking a cigarette. They all looked at me when I pulled up.

Paul's face immediately lit up, and he jumped down from the boardwalk to help me off my bike as I cut it off. I accepted his hand, and he paused for a second as he felt how much I was shaking. I couldn't help it.

"Are you feeling any better, Ivy," he questioned as we stood in front of the others.

I ignored his question, looking at my feet. "I need to talk to you guys," I stated, my voice clear for once. I lifted my head slowly. They were looking at me curiously, though Marko looked a bit more worried.

"Then, we can head back to the cave," David replied, already pushing himself away from the railing.

"No!" My voice made him stop, and he cocked his head to the side.

"No?"

"No." I paused, collecting myself again. "No, I would feel better if we were in public. Around people." I emphasized the last two words, and I felt Paul's grip on my hand tighten just a bit.

David leaned back against the railing and took another drag from his cigarette, breathing it out slowly. "Then talk."

I didn't think this far ahead. I mean, I had, but I didn't expect him to give in so easily. "What are you guys?" The question slipped from my lips quickly, and I froze. I didn't mean to ask so abruptly. The boys also froze a considerable amount. "I- I mean-"

"No, you're fine, but you have to elaborate."

I bit my lip and looked down. "I saw you guys the other night." My voice was quiet now. I was almost surprised they could still understand me. "After you took me home, my aunt gave me permission to go back out, and I saw you guys. Your faces. The _blood._" I looked back up, tears threatening to fall. "What are you guys?"

David's face was almost stone as he stared at me. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were scanning my face.

I took a step back, but Paul stopped me by swiftly stepping behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I let a tear fall down my face. "You're gonna kill me too, aren't you?" My mind was racing. I didn't even get to say a proper goodbye to my aunt, and now, I was going to die.

David took a few steps forward until he was right in front of me. He paused and took in my state. I knew I probably looked like a mess, tears falling down my face, my hair frizzed from the wind, my cheeks red from a mixture of the both, but that's how they'd seen me last time as well. I was beginning to think that's all they would see me as. A mess.

David lifted his hand, and I flinched, but he simply wiped away my tears. "We're not going to kill you." It was six words, but six words that lifted a weight off of my chest. "We couldn't kill you. We've grown too attached over the past few days. It's crazy, isn't it, how a little girl like yourself could have us wrapped around her fingers."

"What's that suppos' to mean?"

David huffed out a laugh and bent down a bit more until we were face to face. "It means you've made the monsters that go bump in the night fall in love with you," he said before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine.

My eyes went wide before I closed them quickly and kissed back with as much force as he was giving me. He pulled back after a few seconds, and I took a deep breath. "You still haven't answered my first question."

The boys laughed, and I opened my eyes to see David smiling. "Vampires. We're vampires."

"Vampires," I breathed out. I felt my legs give out from under me, but Paul caught me quickly and lifted me up. He carried me to where he was sitting before and hoisted me up easily. I gripped the railing. "Vampires," I whispered again. "Oh, now you've gone and done it, Ivarella. Fucking vampires. You're attracted to vampires."

The boys all let out loud laughs, and my face went bright red. They could probably hear everything I was saying. I took another deep breath before grabbing Paul by the shoulders as he was the one standing beside me. I pulled him over to me and made him stand between my legs so he was facing the boys, and then I laid my head on top of his. He was a great headrest if you ignored the whole monster thing. He grabbed one of my hands and interlaced our fingers.

"What does this mean for me," I questioned after a few moments of silence.

I expected David to answer as he had been, but this time Marko did, a grin on his face as he looked at me. "Well, you'd turn into a vampire with us, of course!"

"What if I don't want to be a vampire."

Marko huffed. "Why wouldn't you want to be? We're awesome."

"Yeah, until you get hit with a stake." Paul laughed loudly at that. "And how would I even turn into one?"

"You drink our blood," Dwayne replied. He still had Marko in his arms, and I could see he was rubbing at the skin shown from Marko's cropped shirt.

I grumbled. "That's gross." I rested my cheek on the top of Paul's head instead of my chin. "I can't do it right now if I were to do it, anyway."

"Why," Paul questioned. "What's holding you back."

"I don't know if I can tell you guys," I breathed out. The forest people. What would happen to the boys if I told them about the forest people? I mean, sure, they were supernatural, but so might the fox be.

I was taking this way too calmly, I realized as I wrapped my legs around Paul's torso. I was taking this like it was normal. Maybe I was in shock, but really, I knew it was just because I didn't care. I was slowly becoming numb to the thought of the unknown.

"Why can't you tell us," Paul questioned again. "What's so bad that you can't do it now."

"I can't tell you right now, Paul. Maybe another day."

He paused before talking again. "Is it the reason we found you in the woods like that the other day."

Dammit. How was he able to get it perfectly right? "Maybe."

So fast I could barely register it, Paul flipped himself around so he was facing me, his hands placed on either side of my waist and a worried look plastered across his face. "Then you have to tell us. We can't let something like that happen again. You have to tell us."

"I don't have to do anything, Paul."

"Yes, you do! You have to tell us! We can help you!"

"Paul, she doesn't have to tell us right-"

Paul cut off Dwayne's talking. "Yes, you do. Jesus Christ, I don't want to find you like that again. It fucking broke my heart. We can stop it. We can- we can do something."

Tears were gathering in his eyes. He looked like how I imagined I looked earlier. A tear fell down his cheek, and I quickly pulled him into a hug, his head on my shoulder and I rubbed the back of his neck. "I _can't_ right now, Paul. I don't know if they'll hurt you. You're going to have to trust me for a little bit." Paul sniffled, and I let out a sigh. "I won't get hurt again. I just- I have to figure some stuff out first."

"I don't want you to get hurt again, Ivy," he whispered against my neck. "I don't want to find you like that again. I don't. I don't."

I ran my hand through his hair soothingly. "You won't. I promise you won't." I looked up to see the boys staring at us, each with varying emotions across their face, though curiosity seemed to be shared between them all. I looked back down. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," David responded. "Paul's a bit too emotional right now, but we understand if you're trying to protect us. Well, not really because I'm pretty sure we could kill whatever it is, but you trying to protect us is understandable. You don't have to tell us right now."

"Thank you, David." It fell silent around us for a few moments before I spoke again. "So, I don't have to be home until eleven, and it's only like nine," I trailed off.


	7. Chapter 7

Nothing happened for a few days which I guess I saw as a good thing, but it wasn't. It was terrifying. Every good thing had to come to an end, but why was it taking so long? I was waiting for the forest people or some new distraction to show up, but it never did. I spent time with my boys, getting to know them to pass the time. That was it.

But it was still worrying. There was a little part in the back of my head whispering that something was bound to happen.

And then it did.

I had gotten home after another night out. Really, I had spent the whole night in the cave between David and Paul on one of the beds, but I couldn't complain about that.

It was around midnight, but my mother had already given up on having me home around a certain time. I had to be there when she woke up, a rule I had broken as well, and she wouldn't rip my head off, though I owed it to my aunt.

I keep rambling. It was around midnight, and I had just gotten back. Music was playing through my headphones – the electronics being a gift from Dwayne – so I didn't notice them at first. After all, their sound is what ordinarily gives them away.

However, when someone ran through the woods in the corner of my vision, I paused my song. Footsteps. There were so many of them. People running. I could barely make out the sight of one of them through the dark trees, but I could hear so many more. Tens of them, running and running fast.

And then one approached the tree line before stopping, staring at me through their bird mask. And then another. And another. And another. Until there were too many to count. Standing. Staring.

I gripped the handlebars to my bike, my arms shaking more than I wanted them to. There were so many of them, and so many different kinds of animals. They were all different heights, different weights. Every single one of them was different in some sort of way.

And then the fox stepped into my line of sight. Their hands were in their pockets, and their head tilted to the side. They stopped in line with the others and pulled one of their hands from their pockets, lifting it to show a match.

It seemed that I had lost control my body until that moment as I whispered out a firm "no."

Their head tilted back up. "Do you ever wonder what we are, Ivy? Do you ever wonder what you could become if you joined us." Their fingers twitched and suddenly the match was lit. "Do you ever wonder what being lost would entail?"

Their voice was smooth yet still as deep as I remember it, and it sent a chill down my spine. I wanted to get away. I wanted to get far, far away. The feeling I used to get of comfort was long gone. Now, I was terrified.

Unquestionably terrified.

"You can join us, Ivy. You can join us and be brand new. A place to find a home." They tilted the match and dropped it. They then stepped on it, their boot taking out any flame that had ignited. "You're one of us."

My voice was firm as I spoke, though I couldn't meet their face. "I am not one of you, and I don't need a home."

"Do you really," they leered at me, leaning forward . "Do you honestly not need a home? Have you seen where you live? I have."

"Leave me alone."

"But do you actually want that?"

"Yes. Leave me alone. I don't want you! I don't need you! I will never join you!" After each statement, I got louder and louder until I was screaming.

The silence after I yelled was practically deafening. None of us moved. They stared at me. I stared at them. I pushed my bike back a bit, making it clear that I wanted to leave. The fox didn't move, so I took another step.

"Leave me alone," I muttered before tearing off, back into the direction of the cave. I didn't care if I would get in trouble. I'd explain to my aunt later, but I didn't feel safe being there. At least I knew the boys could protect me in some sort of way.

The speed of my bike calmed me in some weird way. I was moving away from them, and I was moving fast. They couldn't catch me if I was going eighty down the road. I knew I had to slow down at some point. After all, if I crashed, I would most likely die, but that wasn't on my mind right now. Right now, I was thinking of getting to the cave.

So, when I finally slowed to a good fifty miles-per-hour, you could imagine my surprise as something hit my tire and I was thrown from my bike. I had made it into the wooded path to the cliff when I felt myself flying. My back hit the ground, my head made a sick kind of cracking noise, and my bike landed on top of me.

I screamed.

Somewhere deep in my mind, I figured if the boys heard me scream, they could find me. Another bleaker part of my mind told me they would never think twice about a scream in Santa Carla, even if it did sound like mine.

My head was spinning, my vision a mess of twirling tree lines and blurry vision. Something was wet at the back of my head, and I had a sickening feeling that it was blood and not the moist dirt beneath me. I bit my lip before letting out another scream even though it made my vision go dark for a moment.

When I finally regained my sight, I was met with the mask of the fox above me. A deer-masked person was by his side, and someone with a horse mask was on the other. The fox crouched down and grabbed my chin. They were humming, that sickening tune they loved to hum.

"Why must you fight us," the fox questioned. They pressed their hand against my chest and pushed hard until I couldn't breathe. I fought out a few gasping breaths, trying to say something, anything, but nothing came out. "This would be so much easier if you just cooperated. Much less violence."

I tried to lift one of my arms, but one was trapped under my bike and the other was twisted at an odd angle, rendering it useless. "Why," I wheezed out. The question they wouldn't answer. Why?

"I can't answer that, yet, you see. It's nothing bad, I promise. Just, predatory." Those two sentences did not belong together in any sense. "And now that someone else is trying to take our little toy," they trailed off. "Well, that's no good, is it?"

I coughed, spitting up something as I did. They pushed their hand harder. "Wha-" I was cut off by a cough that wracked through my whole body. My vision was becoming spotty, and I wasn't sure how long I would last like this. This was it. I was going to die here.

"I can hear them coming for you. I guess they heard your pathetic little screams, huh?" A small amount of hope filled me at the knowledge of my boys coming. They took their hand off of my chest and grabbed my face with it, making me look at them. "What if instead of you, they found your body?" My heart skipped a beat. "Oh, no, I couldn't do that. We still need you, after all. Damn. They have to get in the way of everything, though." They let out a loud sigh and tapped my cheek before rising. "Well, Ivy, this has been a fun time. Until the next." The three of them sent me waves before turning and taking off into the woods.

I could hear my boys' bikes in the distance. I let out a stuttering breath and tried to push my bike off of me, but it was too heavy, and I was too weak. So instead, I tried to focus on staying awake on blinking away that growing darkness in my vision. I focused on breathing and the stars and the sounds of those bikes growing nearer and nearer.

It felt like I had to wait an eternity before I heard one of the bikes come to a flying stop. That was followed by someone yelling my name. Dwayne, I think. The other bikes followed the first, and soon, I was surrounded by my boys.

Dwayne had immediately lifted the bike off of me and threw it somewhere a bit farther away. I was thankful as I could finally breathe a bit better. David was talking to Dwayne quietly but quickly, and I figured Dwayne knew some medical business because they were discussing if it would be safe to pick me up and take me back to the cave.

Paul and Marko were on either side of me. Marko was on his knees as he tried to assess all the damage the best he could, and Paul was holding my face in his hands.

I coughed out a kind of laugh and shook my head. "I'm sorry, Paul," I mumbled out, my vision dancing again. "I told you they wouldn't hurt me again. I guess I'm really bad at keeping promises, huh."

Paul nodded his head, his voice cracking as he spoke. "You're absolutely terrible at keeping them. I've noticed, don't worry."

I coughed a hacking cough again and felt something that felt a lot warmer than spit slide down my cheek from my mouth. "I'm not going to die."

"I know you won't. We're going to help you."

"No, I mean, I'm not going to die because they wouldn't let that happen. They need me for something. I don't know what, but they do. It sucks."

Paul nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "It does. Are you going to be able to tell us about them now."

I gave him a dumb kind of smile. "Yeah, when I can talk without almost passing out, I'll tell you."

"Don't fall asleep," Marko said. "You have to stay awake."

I let out a whine and turned to look at him. "But I'm so tired, baby. I just want to take a quick nap. I'll wake up soon."

Marko shook his head. "You don't know that, Ivy. We need you to stay awake."

I groaned before coughing again. "I need to stop talking," I mumbled.

"Then stop," Paul replied. "You don't have to hurt yourself more than you already are."

I sniffled and looked at the sky. It sucked being in this situation, if I was going to be honest. Especially for the second time. They're going to get sick of me if I keep getting caught in these situations. Damn.

I was brought out of my daydreaming by Dwayne who had taken Paul's position. Paul had latched onto David from what I could tell, and Dwayne was talking to me.

I turned my head toward Dwayne, humming out a questioning sound to let him know I hadn't heard.

"I'm going to pick you up, and we're going to fly back to the cave. It's going to hurt." His voice was calm, but his face was anything but. He could usually keep his emotions covered. What was so different now?

I hummed an affirmation, too tired to talk, so he placed one arm under my back and one under my knees and lifted me cautiously. I whined as pain shot through me, and Dwayne mumbled an apology.

I lifted my head to place on his shoulder before dropping it back down. "I'm gonna get blood on your jacket," I slurred. "'m sorry."

Dwayne chuckled. "It's fine. Nothing I can't clean up. Get as comfortable as you can. It won't take long."

So I lifted my head again and rested it on his shoulder, aware that it was only a small bit away from the crack in my head. Dwayne jumped, and then we were floating. I could scarcely recognize whatever was happening, but it was an odd sensation being the sky, and I was terrified at the idea that he may drop me.

He had to lean forward when he flew, but he barely jostled me as I moved. The wind was annoying, but that was my only complaint. Soon, we were back in the cave, and he was telling me about how the boys were near but still a bit away.

I knew I wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer, and a nap sounded like a tempting option. "I think I'm gonna rest for a bit," I mumbled out as Dwayne laid be down on a couch, conscious of how he did it so he didn't hurt me. "'m tired, Dwayne."

"No, princess, you need to keep your eyes open. I need you to stay awake."

I hummed as black took over my vision. "Dwayne, I can't see a whole lot." I coughed. "I just really, really want to sleep. Please let me sleep."

"I need you to stay awake," his voice was rising, worry evident. I could hear the boys coming down the stairs.

"I love you guys." That was the last words I remembered saying before my eyes completely closed and I let the sleep overcome my body.


	8. Chapter 8

Something's wrong. I don't know what it is, but something's wrong. Maybe it's the fact that I can't open my eyes or how my body feels dead tired all throughout. Maybe I was just losing my mind.

I felt myself take a deep breath, and I tried again to open my eyes. This time was successful, but I quickly closed them right after. It was pitch black.

Have I gone blind?

I pulled myself off the ground slowly, my eyes open again, though I still couldn't see anything. After successfully standing, I patted my pockets like an idiot before I found the box of matches in my back pocket. I was in the same clothes from last night.

Last night.

Oh shit. Maybe I was dead.

I clutched the box and opened it gingerly, fingers grasping at the familiar little sticks. I dragged the head down the side of the box a few times before the flame was lit.

So, I wasn't blind.

The match barely lit anything around me, but it was enough. I was in the cave, but it seemed like I was in a deeper area. I couldn't see any sunlight. Why did they bring me back here?

I did a quick check of myself the best I could, but it looked like most of my injuries were healed again. How did they keep doing that?

I turned around a few times before finding a hole in the wall, but by the time I had, I had to light another match. I did so quickly and climbed up a few steps to the hallway. Making my way down the hall, I stopped when I was met with two different ways to go. I could tell, even with my minimal light from the matches I kept lighting, that there were more turns down each, and I felt my stomach drop.

I was lost. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and I didn't know how much longer I would be stuck in here. A part of my mind told me that the boys knew where I was, so it wouldn't be too long before they would get me, but it was still terrifying to think that there was a chance I might just be stuck here.

I turned around and made my way back where I came from. When I made my way back into the little area, I slid down to the ground, letting the match die out. I sighed, trying to stop the pressing feeling in my chest.

It let myself sit in the dark for a few moments before I pulled out another match and lit it. I watched the flame take over the wood, letting my breathing fall to a rhythmic pattern. I had gone through the whole pack faster than I thought I would, and I was succumbed back into the darkness. It was a strange feeling, not being able to see anything.

The silence was deafening. I could faintly hear water drip somewhere, but that was it. I could practically hear my heartbeat in my ears. It felt like hours before I heard some noise. Footsteps.

Was that the boys? Or an enemy?

I moved closer to the wall as the beam from a flashlight entered the room soon followed by a person.

"Ivy?" It was Marko. Thank the fucking heavens, it was Marko.

I pulled myself into a standing position, and the flashlight moved to me. I couldn't see him since he shined the light straight into my eyes, but I honestly didn't care. "Marko? Shit. Why the fuck am I back here?"

Marko laughed a bit and moved the flashlight so it was pointed at the ceiling, making the room bright enough to where we could see each other. "What's with the language, doll?"

"I was fucking scared! It's my natural reaction!"

Marko took the few steps forward to reach me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. The kind of hug where I could wrap my arms around his waist and put my head on his chest and fall in love with him a bit more kind of hug. "Sorry to scare ya, princess. We, uh, had to do somethin' to ya last night, and we couldn't figure out where we could put you so the sun wouldn't hit you. Didn't think you'd wake up before us."

I felt myself tense up as my thoughts reeled. "What- what'd you have to do."

Marko ran a hand down my back and bent down slightly, picking me up by the backs of my thighs. I complied with his actions and wrapped my arms around his neck instead of his midriff, laying my head on his shoulder.

"Is it bad, Marko," I whispered as he began walking.

Marko rubbed his thumb against my thigh in some sort of soothing gesture. "Depends."

I sighed and kissed the side of his neck. "Is it what I think it is." Was I a vampire? Is that why he didn't want me in the sunlight?

"I can't read your mind but probably."

I huffed again and relaxed completely into his body. "Okay."

A few seconds later, I was in the main cave, the place already lit from the burning barrels.

'I need to buy more matches,' I thought to myself. I could already feel my fingers itching for one.

Marko walked us over to one of the couches and carefully placed me down. I felt someone's arm wrap around my shoulder as Marko pulled away from me and turned to see Paul, a worried smile on his face.

"Hey, Paul," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder as he pulled me closer to him. Paul grumbled something inaudible and pulled me onto his lap, placing his head on my shoulder. I patted his head before grabbing one of his hands to hold while his other arm wrapped around my waist. "You okay?"

Paul turned his head, his eyebrows furrowed, and lips pushed out as an 'are-you-really-serious-right-now' kind of look. "I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the other way around for that question, Ivy."

"So, we're using my first name now?" I pressed a kiss to his temple and felt him relax against me. "I'm fine, Paul. At least, I think I am. Marko wouldn't tell me what y'all did." At that, I turned toward the other boys. Dwayne was sitting on the couch with Marko laying on his lap, and David was perched in his wheelchair. Their eyes turned to me as I turned to them. "What did y'all do to me anyway?"

"What we had to do to keep you alive." David leaned forward in his chair. "We had you drink."

I faltered for a moment. The drink I knew they were talking about was a jewel-encrusted bottle filled with a mix of their blood. Apparently, it used to be filled with their old sire's blood, but after he was killed in a way they hadn't explained to me yet, they filled it with their own blood.

"Does that mean," I trailed off. Dwayne didn't want to meet my eyes, and Marko nodded while David responded.

"You're a half-vampire now, doll."

After a long bout of explanation that I only halfway remembered. I knew that it wouldn't hurt to go out in the sun or eat garlic or anything, but it definitely wasn't recommended. Paul had apologized about a million times until I made him shut up by kissing him. For about ten minutes. But that didn't matter.

Then, I explained all I knew about the forest people which wasn't a lot, but it was a start. Dwayne had immediately taken to his library collection, looking for anything in any of his books that could help. David had practically stormed out in the midst of a silent tantrum, and Marko and Paul refused to let me out from between them.

I was currently pressed between the two on a palette of blankets and pillows on the floor. I wasn't sure where the found the material, but I couldn't complain. It felt nice to be between them. Especially with the music playing in the background, Led Zeppelin if I was correct.

I pressed my face against Paul's unclothed chest a bit more, a content sigh escaping my lips. Marko mumbled something and placed a kiss on my shoulder.

"Marko," I mumbled, turning my head so I could talk better. "Marko, I have to stop by my house sometime."

Marko grumbled and pulled me closer to him. "Why do you have to go."

"I have to let my aunt know I'm okay. I didn't really go home last night. I know she won't be that worried, but she's still going to want me home sooner or later."

"We don't want you to leave," Paul grumbled against my shoulder. "It's not safe out there for you."

"Then you guys can come with."

"But I'm comfortable," Marko whined. "I don't want to leave."

I let out a groan before rolling over onto Marko. Paul let go without a complaint and laughed a bit. I sat up slowly, sitting on his waist and looking down at him. He stared back up, his eyebrows raised and a small smile on his lips. "We have to, though. I'll ride your bike if you want."

"But I want you to ride _my _bike, Ivy," Paul whined, sitting up on his elbows.

I shushed him with a wink before looking back down at Marko. "Please…" I pulled a pouty face and leaned closer to him. "For me?"

Marko let out a loud sigh and turned to Paul. Paul laughed at him, and Marko groaned again before looking up at me and nodding. I gave him a big smile and kissed his forehead before jumping up.

"Come on, then. If we get there fast enough, then we can get back fast enough. If they let me back out… I mean, if they don't I can just invite you guys inside, right, and you can sit in my room with me. Then, we'd have an actual bed."

"We have actual beds here, doll," Paul responded, pulling Marko up from the ground who seemed to not want to get up at all. "This used to be a hotel, y'know."

"Then why didn't you put me in one instead of a fucking cave earlier?"

The boys both faltered and looked at each other. "That's a good question," Marko mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and giggled a bit. "Well, either way, we need to leave now."

So, I jumped onto Paul's back who caught me after stumbling for a moment, and the three of us made our way up the cliff and to the bikes. Then, I lumbered onto Marko's bike, and we took off down the path that had become oddly familiar to me since I had moved to Santa Carla. The familiar hum of the bike, even though it was moving incredibly too fast, was becoming a calming sound, and soon, we had pulled up to my house.

As I began to climb off the bike, though, Marko grabbed my thigh and pushed me to sit back down.

"Marko?"

Marko shushed me and turned off his bike. Paul followed his lead, and I watched them both sniff the air like dogs. I took a deep breath and tilted my head as a sweet scent filled my nose.

"What's that," I questioned the boys.

They both looked at me before Marko hesitatively responded. "Blood."

"Blood," I questioned. Why would it smell like blood? It took me a few moments to think before I finally came to the realization that should have only taken me seconds. "My family!"

I pushed Marko's hand off of me and jumped off of the bike, sprinting towards the front door. Both of the boys called out to me, and I heard them running after me, telling me to stop, but I didn't. I flung the door open, pausing as the same sweet scent overcame my senses.

"Mom," I called out, my voice shaky as I took a step inside. "Mom? Aunt Jane?" Another step.

Someone put their hand on my shoulder. I turned a bit to see Paul standing behind me, his eyes somber. "Maybe you should wait outside, and Marko and I'll go look for them."

I shook my head quickly. "No. No, I have to find them. I have to. They're – they're fine. They have to be fine."

I stepped away from his hand and made my way into the living room, looking around at everything, absolutely terrified at what I might see. I called out their names again, but there was no response. I could feel my heart sinking in my chest.

I had circled the entire first floor and hadn't found anything. I could feel the boys following me, only a few steps away. They had called my name quietly multiple times but had given up when I continued ignoring them.

Now, I stood at the bottom of the staircase, the dread growing. One step up and my hands were shaking. Two steps and my breathing was speeding up. Three, four five, six, tears were gathering in my eyes. The smell was becoming stronger.

The last steps seemed to go by entirely too fast, and then, I was standing on the second floor. Only one door was closed. The one to my bedroom.

"Ivarella," Marko whispered. "Ivy, go back. You don't want to see this."

I shook my head. "Marko," my voice cracked, "I have to. I have to see it for myself."

Marko whispered my name again, and I silently grabbed his hand from my shoulder, interlacing our fingers. I stuck my other hand out, and Paul grabbed it, holding it to his chest. After taking a deep breath, I walked towards my room. I could hear my heartbeat in my eyes, and the smell kept getting stronger and stronger until we reached the door.

"Paul," I whispered, and Paul stepped forward and swung open the door.

As soon as he opened it, I froze. I knew what I would see, but it still made my heart drop. I swallowed harshly. I couldn't move. I could barely blink. My mother. Oh, my poor mother was laying on my bed, throat slit open and eyes wide in terror. My aunt was slumped against the wall near the window. It looked like someone had bashed her head against the wall until it had split open if the blood was anything to go off of.

I took a deep breath and then another, and then, I was hyperventilating and sprinting out of the house faster than I thought I could be.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ivy? We brought you some food." Dwayne's quiet voice rang out from the doorway. I didn't move from my position on the bed. "You need to eat, princess. You haven't for the past two days."

"I'm not hungry," I replied, my voice gruff from not speaking. Even though I said that, though, my stomach grumbled loudly. "I'm fine, Dwayne."

"No, you're not, and that's okay, but you still need to eat something. We're worried about you." I felt the bed dip behind me, and Dwayne took one of my hands in my own. "I'll leave you again if you just _eat this_."

I let out a shuddering breath and turned my body so I could face him. "I'm not hungry."

Dwayne sighed and rubbed his thumb along the back of my hand. "Yes, you are." He paused and placed the box of takeout on my stomach. "Do it for us, Ivy. Marko went out and got your favorite, and I have some news to tell you if you just_ eat_."

I paused for a moment before slowly sitting up, taking the fork from his hand. He let go of my other hand and smiled at me as I opened the box. "Can you sit beside me. Up here?" I patted the spot beside me, and Dwayne complied, settling into the spot easily. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"Yes, I do. I've been inconsiderate to you guys. I've been wallowing in my own self-pity, and I haven't been spending time with y'all." I stabbed at my food, and Dwayne wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"You haven't done anything wrong. You're allowed to grieve. It just – it's hard to see you in so much pain." He tapped the side of my takeout box, and I took it as a signal to eat. I complied. "We've all been researching, figuring things out. It would have been so much easier if Max was still around, but I can't say I miss him all that much." He paused for a second and let out a long sigh before talking in a quiet voice. "We think we found out what they are. The forest people."

I choked on my food, sputtering violently right after he said that. Dwayne patted my back, calming me down and handing me a bottle of water he had brought in. I sipped on it thankfully, and we fell back to our original sitting position. "You…" Tears were gathering in my eyes, and I almost hated it. I thought I had used up all of my tears a little while ago. "You think you found out what they are? I don't think I want to know, to be honest, Dwayne. I don't think I want to even think about them right now."

"I know. We thought you might want to know, though."

I stabbed at my food and grumbled lowly. "I don't know, Dwayne."

"I know."

We sat in silence for a few moments. I was too tired to talk, and he always seemed to find comfort in the silences. By the time I had finished off the box and bottle of water, though, he was talking.

"Do you think you can go out to the main cave tonight? They've missed you an awful lot."

I hummed and nodded. "Only if you'll carry me."

Dwayne huffed out a laugh and climbed out of bed before pulling me into his arms bridal style. He carried me through the hallways as if he knew them like the back of his hand, which he probably did. The warmth of the main cave was extremely welcome, and I found myself questioning why I hadn't come out sooner.

The boys were lounging around lazily. Marko was laid on top of Paul and looked to be snoring lightly while Paul was only half-asleep, his fingers tapping along to the beat of the music playing. David was out of his chair for once, instead laying down on the other couch, an unlit cigarette between his teeth. His gaze turned to us as we walked in, and he lifted a hand and crooked a finger, telling me to go to him. Dwayne placed me down on the ground, and I gave him a peck on the cheek before making my way over to David who pulled me on top of him as soon as I got close.

"I've missed you," David mumbled, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry."

David shook his head and pressed his now free hands against my waist. "Got nothing to be sorry for."

"That's what Dwayne said."

"Well, Dwayne was right."

"Doesn't feel that way."

David let out a deep sigh and pulled me forward so I was laying on top of him. "You're gonna be okay, Ivy." I let out a deep sigh and relaxed my body. "You're gonna be okay."

I let everything settle to silence before I spoke again. "Dwayne said you might have figured something out. About the people."

David let out a groan and reached around me to his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and lit his cigarette, taking a long drag and breathing it out before speaking. I grunted at the smell. "Yeah, we figured something out. Not much, but it's a start."

"Well, don't leave me wondering." I stole the lighter from him and flicked it on and off periodically, staring at the flame.

David chuckled a bit at my action and took another drag. "After a bit of reading," he paused for a moment, "well, the two idiots practically tore our little library apart," Paul let out a loud laugh, and Marko let out a whine from being woken up. I turned to see Marko sit up, blinking blearily around the room. I laughed quietly, and Marko's eyes locked on mine, a grin brightening his face. He waved at me, and I waved back. "Anyway," David pulled me away, "we found out that they're actually a species called The Lost. That's why, well, they technically told you what they were without you knowing. They're spirits of the forest. To become one, you're invited by one of them, and you have to set the thing you love most on fire before killing yourself. Then, your spirit gets pulled into the forest, and you're stuck there forever. Well, at least until the end of the Earth, and then you go to whatever Heaven or Hell there is, I guess."

My head was reeling with the information. This couldn't be real. I had never heard of something like that, something so… I don't even know. It sounded like a cult!

I lifted myself abruptly and turned to Dwayne who was shuffling through books again. "Dwayne, can you please turn on some music. Anything, please."

Dwayne raised an eyebrow but complied, moving over to the music area easily. I watched him for a few moments before turning back to David. I quietly grabbed his free hand and watched as he blew a thick cloud of smoke. "What do we – what do we do now? What do we have to find out? _What're we gonna do, David?_"

David shushed me quietly and pulled himself into a sitting position as well. "We're going to figure out how to kill them. We're going to make them regret what they've done. We're going to keep you safe."

I nodded, relaxing my shoulders as one of David Bowie's albums began to ring out through the cave. "Thank you, Dwayne," I mumbled, as he passed by me. He was riding a skateboard, kicking off to the beat of the music. "Thank you too, David, and Marko and Paul." I turned a bit to see the boys look over at me with a smile before continuing their conversation.

David pressed a kiss to my temple before pushing me to the other side of the couch so he could get up. He shed his jacket, throwing it to the side and moved around the place easily, disappearing from my view for a few moments before coming back with what looked like a bag of weed. I let a small smile slip onto my face as he sat back down beside me.

"It's not the healthiest way to cope, but I think all of us could use a night out of our minds. If you're up for it, of course."

"There's nothing I'd like more right now, to be honest."


	10. Chapter 10

When was the last time I had been outside? It had to have been weeks, at least, in my mind it had been. I really wasn't sure of the time. Living in the night was strange but oddly calming. The cave was becoming a familiar sensation to wake up in, but it was slowly becoming cramped. No matter how big it was or how many tunnels ran throughout, I could begin to feel the walls slowly closing in around me, but I didn't want to go outside. No, going outside would only bring danger. I knew that.

The boys liked to remind me that the Lost couldn't leave the woods, but they didn't have much research to go off of. What if they could? They had ended up in my yard that night they burned my house down. That felt just like yesterday. I just wasn't sure how far they could go. Perhaps they were looking for the cave right now. Maybe when I finally stepped out into the open, I would get attacked all over again. I was terrified. Absolutely terrified.

I paced in front of the fountain in the middle of the cave. Ten steps forward. Turn around. Ten steps forward. Turn around. Repeat. Repeat until the boys got tired of me and decided to leave or kick me out. Repeat until the thoughts in my head were drowned out by my counting. Repeat until I could breathe properly again.

I could feel the boys' eyes on me, though they did try to hide it. Nothing could hide that burning feeling, though. I closed my eyes tight and stopped abruptly. I took a long, shuddering breath before turning and staring at David. "I need to go outside. Go somewhere. I don't know how much longer I can stand being in here, David."

David tilted his head and bit at the cord to the headphones he was partly wearing. "Are you sure?"

"Not at fucking all."

I heard Marko let out a giggle, and I turned to see him biting his thumb from where he was perched on the backrest of a couch. "Come on, David. When's the last time we all went to the boardwalk? We've gone out only to eat for weeks. I want to go steal stuff and maybe get in a fight!"

"God, I want to get in a fight," Paul grumbled from his spot at the water fountain behind me.

David looked to Dwayne who was leaning against a bookshelf, and Dwayne shrugged his shoulders. David groaned lowly and pulled off his headphones before putting a cigarette between his lips. "Go get ready, I guess."

Marko let out a loud, childish squeal and jumped up, running toward me and grabbing my hand as he passed. I grunted as he pulled me along but complied with his movements. He pulled me through one of the hallways towards the room I had claimed as mine and quickly sat me down on my bed, a broad grin on his face. "I want to pick out your outfit. I know that sounds dumb, but I want to, and you have to let me."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded, letting him do whatever he wanted. I turned toward the door as he started rifling through all my clothes. They had brought everything they thought I would care about from my bedroom to the cave about three days after the death of my mother.

The death of my family.

The memory itself was constantly at the back of my mind, but it was something I could deal with. I wasn't in my bed anymore, which was a good sign. I was moving on. I was okay. Or I would be. There were still moments where something set off a memory, and I broke down completely, but I was becoming used to the idea of not having the two to go to anymore. No matter how much she hated me and made me feel bad, she was my mother and just about the only thing I'd known. And now she was gone. My aunt, I had only known for a few weeks, but it still hurt.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Dwayne walking through the door and smiling at me. I smiled back and laughed as Marko threw a shirt at my head. I grabbed it and examined it. It was actually a shirt I had stolen from Dwayne, seeing as he refused to wear any. I had cut it into a crop top and wore it much more than I cared to admit. It was nice having something of his.

I had something for each of the boys. A pair of jeans from Paul that were tighter than I liked to think about, a necklace or three from David who had more jewelry than he ever wore, and a pair of boots from Marko who somehow had the same foot size as me. Altogether, it made a nice outfit, but it wasn't what Marko was throwing at me.

Instead, Marko threw me a pair of red jeans, a belt and a few chains to clip to it, a leather jacket, the boots I had stolen from him, a necklace with angel wings as a charm, and an earring he had made me himself. It wasn't a bad outfit at all, but I wouldn't tell him that.

"What do you want to do while we're out," I questioned the boys as I stood up and took off my shirt.

Marko jumped onto my bed and huffed while Dwayne sat down nicely. "I don't know, to be honest," Marko replied. "I really want to just walk around and see what happens. Those are always the best trips."

"I agree," Dwayne said, watching as I pulled my shirt over my head before pushing my leggings down. "There's a new video shop open. Maybe we can go find some movies to watch."

"We don't have anything to play movies on, do we?"

Dwayne smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess we'll get a tv as well. It's about time we got some newer stuff in here."

I laughed with him, pulling the shoes onto my feet. "Well, I imagine tonight will be good. At least, I hope it will be."

"Everything will be fine, Ivarella. It'll all be good."

The boardwalk was just how I remembered it, though a bit brighter. The lights were almost blinding the first few moments I walked around. The whispering about me and the boys started up just like I remembered as well, though I didn't mind it as much. I had my hand intertwined with David's, his other holding a cigarette. Dwayne was talking to Marko behind me, and Paul was ahead of us, running around like there was no tomorrow. Constant loud laughs escaped his lips, and it made me smile just a bit brighter.

There were a few shops I didn't remember being there, but that might have just been because I was unobservant before. I didn't know nor care all too much.

After a bit of walking, Paul ended up yelling that he had found the video shop, and that's where we went. Even from outside, I could tell it was probably the brightest shop on the boardwalk. Neon signs lit up the inside and outside, flashing movie titles and phrases for people to look at. The shelves were filled with VHS tapes of all kinds, and a multitude of different kinds of players and televisions were placed on high shelves. I didn't even know where to look, there was so much.

Paul immediately skipped ahead, staring at all the neon signs, and I could have sworn I heard him asking Marko which looked the easiest to take. Marko was a bit behind him, but he was staring at all the movies instead. His eyes kept glancing between the romance section and the horror section. I smiled a bit at that and followed David as he stalked through the store. He didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular though. Perhaps he was just there for the boys.

Before I could register what was happening, I felt arms clasp around my stomach, and I was pulled away from David. I gasped and fought for a moment until I heard Paul's familiar laugh in my ear. He placed me down with a groan, and I hit his chest, glaring at him. "Not funny, Paul!"

"I don't know, chika. It was pretty funny to me. Now, help me pick out a movie."

I huffed but complied with him, looking at all the titles before picking out a movie titled 'The Breakfast Club.' It looked entertaining, at least. Paul gave me a big grin and a kiss on the cheek before letting me do my own thing.

I looked around the store for a few moments before I saw Dwayne who was standing in front of the collection of VHS players and TVs. I made my way over to him easily and placed my head on his shoulder from behind, looking at what he was. "Have you found something you like," I mumbled against his shoulder, pressing a small kiss to his neck.

He relaxed a bit and bent his knees so I could lean more comfortably on him. "Not yet," he responded. "I'm still looking. Gotta find something Paul won't immediately destroy."

"That is exceptionally hard."

Dwayne nodded.

I pulled away and leaned against the wall as he continued to look. "Hey, Dwayne," I questioned. He hummed in response and glanced at me before picking up a thick looking box. "What's that thing you do with David sometimes? With your hands, I mean? Is it sign language?"

Dwayne placed the box back and nodded. "Yes."

I fiddled with my fingers. "Why do you guys do that instead of, like, talking?" The question came out ruder than I intended, and I winced a bit at my choice of words. "I mean, it's like, fine that you do it, I just- I've never seen someone do it when they can talk."

Dwayne laughed a bit and picked up another box, putting this one under his arm. "I'm not- I'm not a big fan of _talking_." He paused for a second and breathed out deeply. "It's something stupid, really, but I used to have a really big stutter. An uncontrollable one, so when I was human, I would pretend I was mute and only speak through sign. When I became a vampire, I slowly, uhm, taught myself how to talk normally, but I still don't like it. It feels foreign."

I nodded, smiling a bit at the new information. "So, why does David know how to do it?"

Dwayne motioned for me to follow him, and I did. We made our way over to the counter where the other boys were. "David knows because he has hearing problems and it's easier for us to talk like that because I'm normally quiet when I _do_ talk."

"David knows because he's an _old man_," Paul barked out, playfully bumping David's shoulder. David sent him a glare, but we could all see the small smile at the edge of his lips.

"Well, I think it's kinda cool that y'all know how to do that."

David smiled at me and placed money on the counter as the cashier said the total. "I'm glad you think so," he stated. "Maybe we'll teach you some one day."

I grinned. "Really? Can you teach me something now?"

David laughed and wrapped his arm around me while Marko and Paul fought for the bags. "Why don't we go get some food, and I'll teach you a thing or two."

So, we set to getting food, and we were soon sitting in the little Chinese shop from our first encounter. Paul and Marko had devoured all of theirs before I could even sit down properly and proceeded to fall asleep on each other, claiming they needed a power nap as it was getting later into the night. Dwayne was sitting beside me, his head resting on my shoulder as I face David.

"This one's really, really simple. You just have to put your pinkie and pointer finger up, your middle fingers down, and your thumb out." He demonstrated, and I followed quickly.

"Like that?"

He nodded. "Then, you just move it back and forth between the two of us a bit, and that's it."

I followed his instructions, and he nodded encouragingly. "Cool! What does it mean, though?"

"It means 'I love you,'" Dwayne responded.

David did the same gesture and pressed our fingertips together. "It means 'I love you,' and I thought I would teach you it first because I do it a lot, but you've never known what it's meant. Now, you know."

I grinned so broadly my face hurt, and I intertwined Dwayne and I's fingers, keeping my other hand pressed to David's. "Well, I love you, too, David. I love you a whole lot."


	11. Chapter 11

It was quiet in the cave, and that was something new. There was almost always _something_ going on. Music or the boys messing around. Something. But it was quiet.

It was getting to the end of the night, so the boys were becoming more sluggish as the sun began to make its accession. David was practically asleep in his chair, his headphones on and eye half-closed as he stared at one of the walls. David was reading a book on one of the couches, but he hadn't turned the page for a while now. He was just blankly staring at it. Marko was beside Dwayne, his head against his shoulder and his sketchbooks abandoned beside him. Lastly, Paul was sitting in front of the couch I was laying on, and I ran my fingers through his hair. He needed to clean it.

The silence was comfortable, but it was becoming deafening. There still hadn't been any news on the people of the forest, and it was practically eating me alive. I tugged on Paul's hair a bit harder than I meant, and he leaned into my hand. He turned his head a bit, maneuvering so I was holding his cheek.

"Are you okay," he questioned, his voice slow and lower than normal. I nodded, but he didn't seem convinced, so he gingerly climbed onto the couch in front of me. There was barely enough room for us, but he made us fit somehow. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged my shoulders, and he gripped me a bit tighter, burying his head in my neck. "I don't want to go to sleep," I mumbled against him. "I feel like every day we don't figure something out, they're planning something. Maybe if when we go to sleep, they'll plan some more, and then by the next time we leave, they'll be there. Ready. Paul, I'm scared. I'm so fucking scared, and I'm tired of being scared. I keep hearing everything they've told me when I close my eyes. It's all I can think about, and I hate it." My thoughts were spilling out as well as my tears, and I was tired. I was so tired. Too much had happened in the past few weeks. Too much to be okay. Too much to not want everything to end. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept properly. My head was getting to me. My thoughts were an ever-present echo, and it hurt. It hurt more than I could express. "I'm so tired, Paul, but I don't want to sleep."

I cried harder than I had in a while. I cried harder than when I had found my family or when I was bleeding to death. I cried harder than when my mother disowned me, but that felt like so far away. Everything was too fast, too quick. Everything I had known had been taken from me, and I was left feeling empty and tired and _sad_.

"And I don't want to worry you guys," I began again, "so I try to be tough, and I try to get over it, but sometimes I wish I was back home. Back to my normal, shitty life in fucking Alabama. I wish I was happy again, and as much as I love you guys, I wish I had never met you because my life has gone fucking insane since I moved to Santa Carla. Now, I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and trying to repress the feelings I have, but I miss it. I miss it so much that it hurts, and nothing is helping me. And I can't even deny that I haven't thought of just jumping off of that fucking cliff because if I did, I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. I wouldn't have to deal with them or my family being gone or the constant fear that you all are with me because I'm so weak you think I might break. I scared, and I'm tired, and I feel like I can't breathe, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry that I walked into your lives and messed it up so bad. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I could feel Paul crying as well, his tears falling down my shoulder as sobs racked his body as hard as they racked mine. Over two months of pent up anguish fell from me, and I knew he felt it. He had always been so empathetic. I knew he could feel what I felt, and as much as I didn't want him to feel it, it was nice to know that I wasn't alone. I pressed a kiss to his shoulder, and I said an apology again, and again, and again.

The sun was rising even higher, and I could feel the vampire part of me begin to set in. The sunrise was showing through the cave entrance, and I could feel Paul's body slump against mine even more.

"Come on," I whispered to him, my voice hoarse, "let's all go to bed. I want to all be together for the night."

Paul nodded against me and sniffled before standing up on shaky legs and helping me up. The other three were moving as well, and we all silently moved farther back in the cave. David slung his arm around Paul and helped him walk straight, something that was surprising to me as David normally wasn't the one to help anyone when they were crying. Dwayne helped me along, and Marko walked in front of us, leading the way.

We ended up in one of the cave rooms I had been sleeping in. It was one of the only rooms with a good, clean bed, and we all shed most of our clothing before falling on the extremely large bed, limbs tangled in each other. I could feel each of the boys, and I knew they were tangled in each other as well, and I felt at peace. My eyes closed easily from the much-needed cry, and my body relaxed as the others adjusted. I was safe, even if just for a moment, and I was loved.

I was loved.


	12. Chapter 12

I had forgotten how peaceful the forest was. How quiet and how loving it was. How it felt like it could wrap around me, some sort of warm embrace of nature. And goodness was mother nature beautiful.

As I walked down an unmarked path, I let one hand run along the trees, and the other twirled a match between fingers. I wondered if the boys were around like they said they would be. We had a plan after all. They promised they would be in the trees, flying above and keeping watch. I paused and listened, using the small part of vampire in me to enhance my ears. I could hear the rustling of the wind and – there they were. The rustling of leaves, of them stepping on tree branches. I could even hear Marko laughing a bit and then David shushing him.

We had been searching through all of Max's old books. He had been their old master, and he had an entire library in his old house. Thousands of books he had acquired over his years of living. Apparently he had been extremely smart, and he knew more than anyone else they had ever met.

After searching for what felt like months, we had found an entire collection of books dedicated to their species. And we had read through them next. Tens of books.

Then, Dwayne stumbled across something the other night, something that could explain the situation. Something that could help us. It was in a little book, one that smelled of dust and citrus and looked like it had been through a bit. It talked of their species, the lost, the ones that created the tale of Peter Pan, and it talked of a Wendy. A girl who belonged to them, but never fully, and as I read about her, it reminded me of everything the fox had told me.

I stopped again as I heard a different kind of shuffling. The kind of distinct shuffling that only meant one thing. The lost. And there were only a few sets of feet. At most ten.

I turned as I heard a twig snap right behind me, and I was face to face with the fox. Their mask's nose almost touching mine. I took a step back. "You're here." I hadn't expected to see him so soon.

The fox chuckled. "Where have you been, little dove. We've been looking for you." Their hands moved and settled on my hips. I grimaced and pulled away. "Where have you been stowed away." The fox's voice was eerily quiet, and also eerily calm.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now, and I have questions." I tried to sound confident, I truly did, but I sounded weak. I was weak.

The fox tutted. "What makes you think I would answer your questions?"

"Because I have something you'd want." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a necklace, dangling it in front of their face. It was a lightweight chain with a locket at the end. "This is yours, right?" The fox was silent, and they didn't move. I opened the locket, staring at the picture inside. A boy, looking barely sixteen, and a girl, both smiling brightly, wrapped around each other in a hug as they stared at a camera. "I came across this the other day. Dwayne was reading from a book, and one of the pages reminded me of this little thing right here. Of course, you're the Peter Pan, right, and she was your Wendy."

The fox quietly pulled back his hood and then removed his mask. I held my breath, not knowing what to expect, but I was met with the face of the same boy from the picture instead. He was pale, paler than I thought someone could be, and he had harsh, red burn marks along the side of his face, but he was the same boy. His hair was a tousled mess of dirty blonde, and I could see tears gathering in his eyes. The moonlight made them look a bright blue, clearer than any eyes I had ever seen.

_"I was your Wendy."_

The pieces had fallen into place two days before. After all, the girl in the picture's resemblance to me was almost uncanny. We were the same girl but from different times. We were different people, yet we were the same. In a different life, perhaps the fox and I were lovers, at least, that's how it seemed. Every time he had tried to get close to me. Every time he had broken one of my bones. Every time he spoke of how he needed me. Every time he spoke of how I was his, but never fully. It all made sense. Everything clicked.

And the necklace? The necklace was a family heirloom, something that had been passed down through generations. Something that had been stowed away in my mother's belongings. I was supposed to get it when she thought it was time. Now was as good a time as any, I suppose.

A tear fell down the fox's face, and he nodded. "You were my everything."

"_Why_," I whispered, my voice so quiet I figured only he would hear it. "Why would you hurt me? Why would you torture me? Why did you break me down until I thought I wouldn't live to the next day?"

He looked down. "Because it was the only way I could get close to you. I want you. I _need you_. I've searched for you for years, waiting for you to come back to me. And then, I saw you, and I watched you, and I waited, and _they took you from me_. They took the only thing I had ever cared about." His hands shook as he grabbed my face. "Don't you understand? I love you! But I can't have you, right? Because you'll never choose me. You never did. You never will. But you're _all I want_."

His grip on my face tightened, and his fingernails dug into my face. "Let me go, Peter."

He shook his head. "You don't even remember my name. My Wendy doesn't even know my name. How cruel fate is, it seems."

"What are you going to do? You're never going to have me."

He shook his head. "I never said I would give up so easily."

I yelled as I felt three pairs of hands grab me and pull me back. As I was pulled, he snatched the necklace from my hand, and my match fell from my other. His face curled into a grin as I thrashed. "Let me go!"

"I don't think you understand, Ivy. I have waited centuries for you to come back. You left me those years ago._ You watched me burn_, and soon…" He paused, a sick grin crossing his face. "Well, doll, soon, I'm going to watch you burn. When the moon hits its peak. Because - because if you burn, baby, you'll be one of us! One of the lost. And don't you just _love_ the idea of that?" Tears streamed down his face as he grinned. "Oh, little bunny, I've missed you so." He stepped forward and gripped my chin. "And I know you've missed me, too."

He leaned forward to kiss me, our lips touching for barely a second before he was pulled back. Snarls, animalistic snarls, filled the air, and I fell to the ground as the other three were pulled off of me. I could hear Peter yell obscenities before they all disappeared in thin air. I watched as David gripped his collar before falling against the ground as he disappeared in a flash of smoke.

I took a deep breath before clamping my hands around my throat. I couldn't breathe. I felt like smoke from flames had clogged up my lungs, making it impossible to breathe. I faintly heard one of the boys call out for me, and someone had scampered up to sit beside me, but I couldn't see. My mind was hazy as I tried to focus on getting air into my lungs.

And then I heard his voice faintly in the back of my head, barely loud enough to be heard. _'Oh, how I've missed you, bunny_.' Then, I could breathe again, and I turned over just in time to throw up. I hacked and hacked, watching as what looked like embers fell from my lips to the ground below me. I felt someone's hand rub my back, and David was whispering encouragingly in my ear.

"You're okay, we're here," he whispered. "You're okay, I promise."

I hacked a few more times before falling over onto my side. I felt my head get picked up and placed in someone's lap. I groaned and turned onto my back. I was laying on top of Dwayne. David was running his fingers through my hair on one side, and Marko and Paul were sitting on the other side.

"'m sorry, boys," I mumbled, taking deep breaths. "I know I didn't get all the information you needed."

"You did wonderful. We got enough, I promise. We can work with it." Dwayne spoke with a reassuring smile, and David leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Come on, let's go home."

David held my hands and helped me stand. I leaned against him and gave the other boys a lazy smile. I tried to speak but failed to do so. Instead, I coughed incredibly loud. So, instead of speaking, I raised my hand and signed 'I love you' like David had taught me. The boys' faces softened, and David tugged me forward a bit, leading me out of the forest.

"Y'know," he spoke up, looking over at me. "When this is all over, and you're safe again, we should have a picnic in these woods. It's nice."

I nodded and chuckled a bit in response. That would be nice, I thought. That would be wonderful.


	13. Chapter 13

The boardwalk didn't seem as fun tonight. Even with me barely going out anymore, the prospect of being so out in the open was better in my mind than in reality. I twirled a match between my fingers as Marko and Paul flounced around in front of me. Dwayne walked beside me, his pinky hooked with mine. David was gone. Drinking... or was it eating?

Sometimes I forgot I was a half-vampire. I barely felt it, really. David said he wasn't sure why, and Dwayne theorized that it might have been because it was only a small amount of blood compared to how much they had drunk. He said most would drink the whole bottle, but they gave me just enough to pull through the accident.

When I first moved here, I truly believed the boardwalk would be my favorite place, but now, it made me scared. So out in the open. So vulnerable. And so cold. Alabama was nowhere near as cold as Santa Carla was.

I pulled Dwayne's hand up, the one I was already linked to, and I kissed his knuckles before holding it close to my chest.

"Are you okay," he questioned as we made our way into a back alley. Marko had mentioned that he wanted to meet up with someone. A dealer, probably.

I nodded but kept his hand close to me. "I'm fine, just a bit scared."

"We'll keep you safe, princess. Don't worry too much."

"I know. I just get in my head a bit too much, y'know."

Dwayne stopped us, and the other two continued ahead of us. He leaned against the brick wall and pulled me into him, hugging me with his free arm. I laid my head on his shoulder and smiled a bit. He was incredibly warm for a dead person. "What are you thinking about now," he questioned.

"He said it would happen when the moon reached its peak. Does that mean the full moon? Because that's only in a few days."

Dwayne sighed lowly and nodded. "Yes, I believe so. I realized that when you were sleeping afterward. We only have three days left now."

"Three days." The words were barely there, hidden in my breath. "Only three days," I repeated louder this time. "Do we have a plan?"

"Hide," he responded. "They can't go through with the ritual if they can't find you, and they haven't found you yet."

"Okay."

Marko came bumbling back with Paul by his side, hand in hand. "The sun's about to start rising," Marko said, jokingly pushing Paul away as Paul tried to kiss his cheek.

Dwayne responded with some affirmation, and he said that we should head back. At this point, David would probably meet us at the cave. At least, that's what Dwayne said. So, we headed back to the bikes, loaded on, and took off down the road.

Dwayne was correct in saying that David would be at the cave, as he was sitting on the edge of the cliff when we pulled up. His headphones were on, and he was humming quietly along to the song when I walked over. I placed my hands on his shoulders, and he leaned back slightly, resting on my legs.

I sighed and sat down, my legs on either side of him. The sun was rising. I could see the dashes of pink beginning to fill the horizon. "You need to go inside," I spoke, pulling back one of his headphones.

"One more second," he responded. So, we waited one more second, and then the one second led to ten minutes, and then we were rushing inside, trying to keep him from the sunlight.

"Goodnight," we both whispered to each other before falling into bed. The others were already fast asleep, and we drifted away with the pull of the sunrise in the back of our minds.

Unfortunately, I was startled back away by the sound of whispers. I didn't understand the words spoken, and I hadn't fully grasped that they were not voices I was used to until I was yanked out of bed. I blinked rapidly, my brain trying to keep up with what was going on. I opened my mouth to call for one of the boys, but someone wrapped a cloth around my mouth, tying it at the back of my head. Then, I was pulled out of the room.

I yelled against the cloth, flailing my arms and trying to get away, but nothing seemed to work, and then the smoke filled my lungs again, and I soon passed out.

I awoke what only felt like moments later in a place I didn't recognize. I was in what seemed like a rickety house. The floorboard creaked underneath my feet when I stood and turned, studying the room. The only things inside were the bed I was on – which was really only the mattress on the floor – and a shelf on the wall.

There was a window as well. I stepped over quickly, trying to stay as quiet as possible which was quite hard considering how noisy the floor was. I tried to lift the window, but when I inspected further, I saw that it was nailed shut. So, I tried punching it out, not caring how much noise it would make, but it did nothing but hurt my hand. I clutched my fist close to me, hissing quietly. That wasn't glass, though it did look to be.

I flexed my hand, wincing as sharp pain shot up my arm, and tears gathered in my eyes. I stepped over to the door, and it was locked as I expected to be. And then tears were falling freely down my face. Where was I? What happened? Who took me? Obviously, I had a vague idea for all the answers, but my chest felt like it was growing tighter, and my breathing was coming out heavier, and then, I was having a full-blown panic attack. I clutched my chest and fell back in front of the bed, crying harshly and trying to control my breathing.

They said they would keep me safe. They said the lost wouldn't find me.

I knew I shouldn't blame it on my boys, but it was all I could think of at the moment. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know, but still.

I slammed my hand on the ground and looked up as the door was open, letting out a cry as I saw who walked in.

Peter.

He gave me a big smile, his eye twitching a bit as he made his way over to me before dropping down into a squat in front of me. "Hello, little dove, how are you?"

I didn't respond, choking back another sob as I stared into his eyes, the rising sun from the window casting a glow into his blue eyes. God, he had beautiful eyes, but they were so empty. Hollow. As if no one was behind them.

"Not very talkative today, huh," he mused. He grabbed my chin between his two fingers and pulled me close to his face. "After everything I went through to find and get you, I would think you would at least greet me. It's been years, my dear Wendy. I thought you would miss me."

"My name's not Wendy, and I don't know you."

His face dropped from his smile, and he snarled at me. "Yes, you do. You know me, Wendy. You know me." His voice was pleading, and both of his hands grabbed my cheeks instead of the one, holding me closer. "You know me, you do. I swear. You- I-" he seemed to lose his wording before he lunged forward and kissed me harshly.

I gasped and pulled away harshly, almost falling backward completely. I scrambled to my feet, stumbling towards an opposing wall. "I'm not Wendy! My name is Ivarella Saint. I'm- I'm eighteen. I come from a town in Alabama with less than one thousand people. My mom was killed by your lost boys, and so was my aunt. I have a weird obsession with matches, and I have four boys that I love deeply who happen to be vampires, and _I do not know you_. You're a character from a book I read. _I don't even know your real name!_" I took a deep breath before continuing. "The only thing I've wanted to do since I've gotten to this godforsaken city is to _go back to Alabama_, and everything seems to be going against me. I'm tired. So fucking tired, and I don't know what's happening anymore."

Peter had risen from his place crouched down and was staring me down as I ranted. He seemed to take a few moments to think before he said a single sentence. "My name is Oliver."

And then he walked out, locking the door on the way.


	14. Chapter 14

I grunted quietly as I picked at the flooring beneath me. My fingernails dug into the wood – which was a disgusting feeling, if I'm being honest – as I tried to pull the flooring up. I could hear that there was a space between the ground and this flooring, though I didn't know if there was enough space to get me out. I truly didn't know how long I had been here as I didn't know how long I had slept beforehand, but the sun had already risen and then fallen since I'd been awake.

Oliver had only come in one more time since our fight, and that was only to hand me a plate of food and a glass of what looked like water before walking back out. The food looked absolutely delicious, and it smelled wonderful, but I couldn't be sure he hadn't poisoned it.

I tried to pull at the flooring again to no avail, crying out as I felt one of my fingernails bend in a way it was no supposed to. I clutched my hand to my chest and silently cried, leaning against a wall as I did so. I had done an awful lot of crying recently, and I was tired of it, but I didn't know what else to do. I closed my eyes, willing myself to go to sleep, but my body wouldn't let me.

And then, my mouth began to hurt, and it hurt an incredible amount. It hurt so much that I lunged forward as if it might help, but it didn't. I cupped my mouth before pressing my fingers against my teeth. I could feel some of my front teeth growing, changing, and it felt incredibly strange. They were growing sharper and longer. They were changing into vampire teeth. How long I had waited for the experience to happen, but of all moments, now? Now?

I clutched my hand against my mouth and leaned back onto the wall again. Why now? I missed my boys. I missed David. I missed Paul and Dwayne and Marko. I missed the cave and the sound of Dwayne's skateboard on the rocks. There were so many little noises in that cave that I missed, noises that made it feel more like a home than any home I had ever been in. Like the sound of whatever Marko was using to make his next work of art. The sounds of old pages turning time and time again. The gentle hum of David's music when his ears started messing up. The sound of someone taking a drag from a cig. The clinking of metal when someone moved in their seat. The fluttering of birds wings. There were so many little sounds I missed. In here, it was silent. Even Peter didn't make a sound.

But then, then, I could hear a faint voice in the back of my head. It was so faint, I figured I might as well be hallucinating it. Maybe the hunger was getting to me, I thought. Maybe I was truly becoming insane. But it was real. _Ivy_, the voice said, questioning at first, but then it repeated, and this time it was frantic. _Ivy? Ivy, can you hear me?_ I knew that voice, I realized as I focused on it. It was becoming clearer. _Oh my god, Ivy! Can you respond? Just think of an answer! I'll hear it!_ That's David, I finally realized, so I responded.

'_David? Are you real?'_

There were a few minutes of silence before I heard him again. _'Yes! Yes, I'm real! How are – What happened? Where are you?'_

I sniffled a bit, wiping my nose with my arm. Maybe, I really had gone clinically insane. They would have to take me to a psych ward before I even got out of here. _'David, how can I hear you? How do I know you're real?'_

'_The vampire in you must have set in.' _His voice faded out for a few seconds before coming back. _'Baby, can I add the other boys to this wave?'_

I didn't even question what that could possibly mean before I was responding. _'Yes, yes, please.' _And then there were three other voices in my mind, loud and frantic, and I winced as the sounds hit me full-force. I could barely make out what they were saying, their questions about where I was or what had happened, if I was okay. _'Shut up,' _I yelled, and they fell quiet. _'I'm sorry_,' I whispered, _'you're all just so loud. I can barely think for myself. It's a shock.'_

_'I'm sorry,_' Paul said in response. _'Do you know where you are? Any clues?'_

I shook my head before realizing they couldn't see me. _'No, I have no clue. How can I hear you guys? What's going on?'_

_'It's a pack thing. If vampires all took blood from the same source or from each other, they're able to communicate through mental wavelengths. Did you drink blood? I don't understand how you're here,'_ Marko responded.

_'I don't know. I just- I felt my fangs. They grew in for the first time, and here we are.'_

_'And we weren't there?!' _Paul's voice was so loud I could feel a headache forming, but he quieted down right after. _'We weren't there. I'm so sorry, Ivy. I know how painful that is. We all know.'_

I chuckled a bit. _'It wasn't too terrible. I've been through worse.'_ I don't think they took it as a joke because no one talked for a few moments. _'Do you guys have any idea of how to get out of this?'_

I could hear Dwayne sigh before he spoke up. _'Ivy, I need you to take a deep breath, close your eyes, and open them as you exhale. On the count of three.'_ I paused, confused, but complied as he began to count down. I closed my eyes when he hit zero, and when I opened them again, I took a step back in confusion.

I wasn't in the room anymore. I was in the woods somewhere, and I was taller than I was used to. I turned around a few times and looked down. This wasn't my body, I came to realize. This was Dwayne's. I looked up, and my boys were in front of me, staring at me.

"What's going on," I questioned. "What's happening?"

Marko was the one to come up to me, wrapping me in a hug. The others followed, and I hugged them back as I could. "You're okay," Marko said. "Dwayne's in your body for the moment. It'll only last a few moments, but we're hoping that's all he needs. Are you okay wherever you really are?"

I nodded. "I think so. I'm with Peter or Oliver. His name's Oliver."

"We're going to get you out of there," David said. "We're going to find you and get you out."

I mumbled a thank you, and then I blinked, and I was back in my body. I was standing in the middle of the room, and I looked up as the door opened. Oliver carried another plate of food, and he gave me a suspicious look as he placed it on the bed. "You didn't eat the last plate," he said, tapping on the glass before standing back up. "Are you not hungry?"

I stammered over my response for a few moments before replying. "I wasn't at the time."

He nodded, and he motioned for me to take the new plate. I sat down on the bed and gingerly took it. I stared at it for a few seconds. _'You can eat it_,' Dwayne said.

Oliver's stare was scrutinizing, and I found myself picking up the fork and picking up some of the food. Mashed potatoes and ham. As I took a bite, I looked up and watched as Oliver smiled.

"You're going to need that energy for tomorrow," he said. "So, eat and rest. Time will pass faster than you think."

"What's tomorrow," I questioned, standing up as he turned to leave the room. I could faintly hear one of the boys in the back of my mind, but it wasn't loud enough to understand them.

Oliver gave me a wild grin. "The moon hits its peak tomorrow. That means the ceremony will be happening, and you need your energy for that. So, go to sleep."

"I will. Goodnight."

He opened the door then paused for a second. "Don't fucking try anything." Before I could even respond, he began again. "Don't try anything, or I swear to whatever god there is, tomorrow will not be as nice as I have planned. Try not to ruin this for me. Okay, Wendy?"

I held my breath as I responded. "Okay."

"Okay." He took another pause before stepping out and closing the door behind him. "Okay," I breathed to myself.

_'Ivy? Hey, come back to us, doll,' _I heard Paul say.

_'We heard everything,'_ Marko said.

Dwayne followed him. _'We need to come up with a plan. I have a basic idea of where you are. I know the house. It was abandoned in '36 because people believed there were ghosts. Part of the urban legends around here. We're lucky we've visited the place before. It was a good place to stash a body for a few days a while back.'_

_'That was before we had our cave and we even thought to just throw 'em in the ocean,' _David piped up.

They all took a moment to laugh before Dwayne spoke again. _'We just need to figure out how to get you out without them noticing.'_

_'We need to find a way to fucking ruin the ceremony,_' Marko said, a growl in his voice. '_How are we supposed to get her without them trying to get her back? If we ruin the ceremony, we ruin their opportunity to take her again. I mean, didn't you say it only happens once in a fucking blue moon, Dwayne?'_

_'He's got a point,'_ Paul said. He had been quieter than normal, and his voice was almost a whisper in my head. _'If we just take her now, who's to say they won't just grab her again in the next day. Plus, you've seen how they fight. They have some fucking voodoo magic shit going on. The way Oliver disappeared when David had him. How the hell are we supposed to get passed that?'_

I finally spoke up. _'Together. We'll find a way to get out of this together, and then, when we're safe, we'll leave. We'll go somewhere across the world.'_

_'Like Canada,'_ Marko said. I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

_'Marko, you dope, that's only a few thousand miles away. She meant somewhere like England or fucking Iceland. Denmark. We should go to Denmark! They had Vikings!' _Paul was louder this time, happier. _'We should become pirates.'_

_'Paul, what the fuck are you talking about,'_ David questioned. _'We're not going to become pirates or Vikings or whatever the fuck.'_

_'Denmark does sound nice, though_,' Dwayne said.

I spoke up_. 'None of us speak Danish, though.'_

'_Jeg beder om at afvige,' _Marko responded.

_'What the fuck,' _I questioned.

_'I'm full of surprises, babydoll.'_

_'Alright! We need to get back on track. We need a plan.' _David spoke and then paused for a few moments. _'And I think I have one.'_


	15. Chapter 15

I had never put much thought into how I would die until I met the boys. I was lucky in that aspect. I knew what felt like hundreds of people who had planned their deaths every day of their lives or wondered how they would go. At a ripe old age in a place that you loved or on the side of the street in a horrific accident. By the looks of it now, I wasn't sure I would even last the night.

Oliver was leading us through the woods. Both of my hands were tied behind my back. I think it was twine because it didn't feel thick enough to be rope, but it burned like hell. Two of the lost boys were by each of my sides, and I knew there was one right behind me.

David had a plan. It was simple enough, but I began to wonder if it would truly work. I would be taken to the location, I would describe to them through the link the best I could of where I was, and they would snatch me before I could throw the match. They wanted to turn me into one of them, a member of The Lost. I didn't know what they would have for me to burn, though. To become one, you had to set flame to the thing you love the most. What would that even be?

I grunted as the boys that were holding my arms threw me to the ground, informing me that we were at the place. I landed on my knees, my head down. Immediately, I tried to reach out to David, calling out his name in my mind. It wasn't long before he responded.

_'Do you know where you are? Any hints?'_

I lifted my head slightly, looking around for anything distinctive. I felt my blood pumping, rushing past my ears and through my veins. It was stressful.

Before I could reply to David, Peter began to talk. "Aren't you just _excited_?" As he finished the sentence, flames lit up around us, forming a circle.

My heart was thrumming in my ears, a quick but steady beat. My breathing was picking up, and I felt a panic attack setting in. David's voice was in my head somewhere, but it was faint. Then, I thought I started hallucinating, my vision cutting between where I was and somewhere else darker, somewhere with my boys. Maybe Dwayne was doing his thing again, but I couldn't focus enough to pay attention. I was becoming light-headed.

Then, Peter pulled me up by my hair, forcing me to stand and look at him. "It's time, babydoll."

My body went silent at that word. I couldn't hear anything but a ringing in my ears, and I realized how quiet the forest really was. Out of all the words he could have chosen to call me, it was that. The word my boys called me. It was setting in what was truly happening, and I stared at him. "What?" My voice was so quiet it was almost silent, but so was the forest.

Peter grabbed my hand and lifted it, opening it and placing something on my palm. I looked down, and a match rested there. God, how I had missed them. Oliver placed his other hand on my chin and lifted my head to look at him. "All you have to do is light it, and you'll be one of us."

My body didn't even feel like it was mine. My eyes focused and unfocused. My mouth went dry. My hands shook more than they had in a long time.

It would all be over if I just lit the match. The boys would be safe. They would be okay. Oliver would have what he wanted. He would leave them alone.

The answer was clear to me as I looked down at the little stick.

I didn't feel myself pick it up, and I didn't feel myself strike it against the piece of wood he gave me. And, then, I heard my boys. They were calling out to me, but it wasn't in my head this time.

And the match fell right as they did.

Oliver practically growled when he saw David in front of him, swinging a punch at him, but David was faster. Marko and Paul took on the two that had walked me before, and Dwayne grabbed the last one. Each of them were quick to start fighting, and I was quick to notice that Oliver and the others were disappearing and reappearing like they were before.

Then, I felt heat, and I looked down to realize I had lit the ground on fire, and it was quickly spreading. I backed up quickly, staring at it. My vision was becoming dizzy again as I kept looking around at each of the boys. I didn't know what to do.

_'Get them in the fire. Get them in the fucking fire!' _Dwayne was yelling in the mind-link. I watched as Paul gripped the one he was fighting and flung him into the flames. The lost erupted into flames like kerosene, let out a terrifying shriek, and then turned into ashes. When the other three realized what he had just done, they began to fight back more vehemently.

_'What do I do?'_ I cried out. I felt useless, but I was scared to fight.

_'Try to get out of the circle. If you get set on fire, you'll become one. The rules have changed. You just need to go up in flames, you don't need to burn the thing you love!' _David was the one to respond as Marko let out a loud grunt and threw his foe into the fire as well.

That left only two. With the help of Paul and Marko, Dwayne was able to easily throw his foe into the fire which only left Oliver. He was standing near the edge of the circle, his hands out and his eyes moving like a feral animal. He was scared, and it made me happy.

However, I was so caught up in watching them that I didn't notice the flames reaching my pants, catching them on fire and beginning to run up my thigh. I backed up quickly, not knowing what to do, but I backed into the flames of the circle, and I felt it now running up my back. "Guys," I yelled out, looking up at them. David didn't move, making sure Oliver stayed in his place, but the others turned and promptly freaked out.

Dwayne was the first to reach me, taking off his jacket and hitting the flames on my legs with it. I knew what he was doing, but it still freaked me out at first. I watched as the flames slowly fell away, and Paul was quick to follow what Dwayne was doing but with my back.

I fell as soon as they stopped, landing on my knees again and taking a moment to breathe, and as I looked up, I watched as Oliver fell the same way I had. David was saying something, but I couldn't hear him, and Oliver was crying. Full crocodile tears fell down his cheeks in a way that almost made me feel bad for him. Then, I remembered what he had done, and I didn't feel so bad anymore.

Through the flames, I watched as David grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him high up in the air. His face shifted to his vampire form as he continued talking to him, and Oliver let out a scream as David threw him into the flames, but I didn't fully process it as one of my boys picked me up by my waist and began to fly.

Watching from high in the sky, I noticed the flames that engulfed the area and slowly spread were quite beautiful. They climbed up the trees, and it felt like they were reaching towards the heavens, climbing, reaching, almost breathing.

That was something I'd always noticed about the flames. It was as if they were a life of their own, a short-lived life, but a life that was well-filled, a life that took with it. And, I reached to the flames, wanting to feel them, but they were far away. The boys were taking me away, and I almost missed the heat they provided.

When we reached the cave, I realized the one carrying me was Paul. His breathing was still labored from fighting when we landed, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, he pulled me into a real hug, one arm around my neck and the other around my waist, pulling me as close as he could. He was mumbling something, and after a bit of listening hard, I could faintly make out his words. He was repeating 'you're okay. You're safe now.' Over and over again, and I knew he was saying it more for himself than me.

And then, I felt the tears. He was sobbing harshly, his tears hitting my neck where his face was buried, his words becoming a jumbled mess. I slowly raised my hands which had been by my sides in shock, and I ran my fingers through his hair. It was a flat mess against his head, no sign of hairspray or teasing throughout. My hands stilled and one gripped the back of his neck, holding him to me.

"I'm here, Paul. I'm right here. I love you. We're okay." I whispered reassurances in his ear until his breathing calmed down, his hold becoming slack against me. I knew he was tired. We all were. We had been through so much.

And so, after realizing the boys had all gone into the cave, leaving me and Paul to have our moment, we made our way down as well. I led Paul towards the bedroom we had claimed slowly. He leaned most of his weight against me, and one of my hands was held between two of his which he then held to his chest.

The other boys were already there when we got to the room, each laying on the bed in various amounts of clothes. David had a bottle of scotch held close to his chest, and Marko was laid on top of Dwayne's chest, already half-asleep. I gently placed Paul on the bed, and his head fell down. David handed him the scotch, and he took it gratefully, tipping it back and taking long gulps. I placed a kiss on his forehead before moving to the dresser, picking out clothes to sleep in. The ones I currently wore were half-shredded from the forest and the fire, but I wouldn't want them after anyways.

As I lifted my shirt over my head, I felt somebody's hands helping me pull it off, and then, there was a kiss placed to my cheek. I turned to see David, and I gave him a soft smile as he unclipped my bra, pausing for a second to place his hands on my stomach and kiss me. "I'm never letting you out of my sights again," he said to me. "We're going to keep you safe. We failed once, but it will never fucking happen again. You're with us for the long run, babydoll."

I froze and let out a deep breath. "Please, don't call me that. All I can hear is his voice when you say it. I love you, but anything else, please."

David nodded, and he handed me my shirt for me to pull on. "I understand."

"What did you," I paused for a second before talking again. "What did you say to Oliver before you threw him in the fire."

"Nothing special," he responded. "Something along the lines of 'did you really think you could get away with taking our girl?' He said something about loving you and it would never stop, and I told him he lost his chance the second he hurt you. Just a bit of nothing."

I laughed a bit. "Sounds interesting. I wish I was able to hear it."

"It was nothing. I love you."

I smiled and kissed him again after pulling my shirt over my head. "I love you too. Now, let me take off my pants so I can get in bed." He let go, and I changed then climbed into the bed with them.

Dwayne placed an arm under my head as I laid down, and Marko stuck a hand out to wrap around my stomach. David took the alcohol from Paul and placed it on a nightstand, nudging him in my direction. Paul took the opportunity to lay between my legs, his head right under my chest, right on top of Marko's arm, but Marko didn't complain. David laid on my other side, taking one of Paul's hand and holding it in his. We were finally all together again, and I was happier than I could explain. Dwayne lifted his free hand in an 'I love you' movement, and I reciprocated, touching my fingers to his.

"Goodnight, guys. I love you."

"I love you, too," they each responded, and we fell asleep, calm.

(A/N: There will be one more chapter.)


	16. Chapter 16

"Paul, if you don't back the fuck up, I'm going to roundhouse kick you into the fucking ocean, dude!"

I turned at the sound of Marko's yelling, though I could tell that the sentence was spoken with a smile on his face. Paul had snaked his hands around Marko's neck and jumped on him piggyback style. Marko had quite a few bags in his hands as we were in the process of shopping for our new place, but he had dropped a few things from Paul's mini attack.

Paul giggled drunkenly and placed his chin on top of Marko's head, a lazy smile stuck on his face. "Nah, I'm good."

I picked up the bags Paul had dropped as I heard David's footsteps approaching. I had been with them so long, I knew who was approaching by their steps. David was heavy-footed, and his boots clunked loudly, but even without them, he was loud. Dwayne's steps were quiet when he wasn't wearing boots, but with them, he walked like a marcher, a heel to toe roll that stuck out. Marko always had his spurs, but without, he had a heavier left foot that made a strange sound when he walked. Lastly, Paul had a weird gait; he rarely took even steps, rather preferring something that almost sounded like a dance.

"Do you need help," David asked, his voice quiet against the boardwalk.

I lifted myself and gave him a smile and a kiss. "I'm good. Have you got it all boarded up?"

He nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "Dwayne is double-checking. I figured I would come and get you guys."

"Alright, let's head over then."

Marko huffed as Paul kicked at his sides like a horse, but he walked with us.

We had bought a house right by the coast. Though the boys loved the cave, they had told me they were looking for a reason to ditch it ever since Max had died. "It's nice and all, but we need a home. Also, who knows if there are any other lost left over. They would know where we lived. We have enough money saved up,-" though they wouldn't tell me where it came from "-so we can just leave. Find somewhere nice. A home." So we bought a real house, one with five bedrooms and a working kitchen. We wouldn't sleep in the rooms, it had a basement that got cold enough for comfort at night, and we had sealed any little cracks or windows that would have let light in. So, we would sleep in there, and at night, we each had a room if we wanted to be alone, or we could all pile in whichever we wanted.

Everyone rather enjoyed being able to be by themselves every now and then. It was rare, but it was needed at moments. Tonight was the night we moved in completely.

The walk from the boardwalk wasn't very long, but it was enough for the noise of it to become a low hum in the back of our minds. We didn't want to be too far away. After all, the boardwalk was filled with quick and easy meals. But, we also didn't want to be too close. The house was practically sent from the gods, where it was placed. It was also nowhere near the woods. I didn't like being near them much anymore. I still enjoyed fire, loved the feeling of it biting at my fingertips, but my dead heart practically jumped out of my chest anytime I was too near a forest. But with a town like Santa Carla, it was easy to stay away from them.

As I felt the sand under my feet, I felt myself relaxing more and more. Marko ended up taking off in a sprint while Paul laughed louder than I thought he could, but David and I kept a steady pace.

Dwayne was leaning against the door when we reached the house, a small smile on his face. He led us inside, using the link to talk to us. _'It's not all decorated yet, but the basement is sealed, and everything is cleaned.'_

I looked around. It looked completely different than when we had first looked at it. With the lights on and everything dusted, it was almost beautiful, but it was missing something, so I opened the bags we had and got to work. The living room was decorated with Marko's art. We went behind his back and got a ton of it framed. So, we hung those in empty spots. We hung new curtains; one window had little bats that I thought were funny, and the other had cowboy hats. The chair had a large throw blanket with David Bowie's face plastered across it, a throwback to when David got plastered and cried about how beautiful David Bowie was. We would never let him live that down.

The bedrooms were each decorated for each person. Paul's was covered in band posters and dog pictures. Clothes were thrown half-hazardly on hooks, and his rainbow of blankets covered any other open space. Marko's was strangely neat. He had organized all of his art supplies in a variety of drawers, and his bed was barren except for a huge teddy bear that could cover him. Dwayne had won it for him on the boardwalk a while back, apparently. I wasn't there for that.

David's room was organized the best out of everyone's. His walls were lined with all the forms of music we had bought, and he was the only one with a TV. He had never liked the quiet, so it made sense that his room would be louder than the rest. Dwayne had originally only wanted his bed with no decorations, but after a while, we convinced him to put a few things in his room. His large collection of books lined the walls, long stretches of vine plants fell from hanging pots, and his bed had the most blankets out of everyone.

Mine was comfortable. I had pictures of the boys that they had taken long before we met, and I had a few from a photobooth we had ended up in a few nights ago. Matches, lighters, candles, and incense were all around the room along with fairy lights that kept the room at a soft glow. My bed was the biggest, with enough to fit all of us comfortably because I knew my space would most likely be invaded the most out of everyone's.

Once we were finished and done admiring our work, we found ourselves back in the living room. The TV was on, the only other one in the house besides David's, and Marko and Paul were watching a cartoon movie, smiles on their faces and arms thrown around each other. I was sitting in David's lap, watching Dwayne's hands in front of me as he tried to teach me more sign language. I was slowly getting the hang of it, though I tended to mix a few things up.

"I love you," David mumbled into my neck, his voice groggy from sleepiness.

"I love you, too."

I loved them all, and I was safe.

For now, at least.


End file.
